I want to distribute my Mac App on both Mac App Store and my own website. The Mac App Store app will be signed via the Mac App Distribution certificate from Apple and the Website version will be signed via the Developer ID Application certificate. The website version will be distributed as a simple MyAppName.zip file that lets the user unpack MyAppName.app to where ever the user wishes. My app is a document based app that creates documents with extension .mydoc
I have two options to implement such a scenario.
First, and my preferred method is to have same bundle identifier for both apps. If a user tries to install from MAS first and then website; Will both apps live on my Mac without any issues? If a user installs the website version first, and then tries to install from MAS, how will MAS behave? How is it decided that which app will open my document by default?
Second, I use different bundle identifier for the apps on MAS and my website. Essentially they are different apps and I don't like this because it is confusing for a user because the apps look and behave exactly the same. In this case, how is it decided which one of the apps will open my document by default?
If a user tries to install from MAS first and then website; Will both apps live on my Mac without any issues? Answer: YES
If a user installs the website version first, and then tries to install from MAS, how will MAS behave? Answer: MAS will ask user that there already exists a version and if it should be kept.
How is it decided that which app will open my document by default? Answer:
Launch Services documentation says the the behavior is not determinate. So either one will open.
Second, I use different bundle identifier for the apps on MAS and my website. Essentially they are different apps and I don't like this because it is confusing for a user because the apps look and behave exactly the same. In this case, how is it decided which one of the apps will open my document by default? Answer:
Launch Services documentation says the the behavior is not determinate. So either one will open.
Related
Alright so I've built my first desktop app in xcode. The app is intended for use by one person only. I want to export it in the quickest, easiest way possible so they can use it on their laptop.
I've got Mac OS 10.10.3 and XCode 6.4. The target laptop has Mac OS 10.10.5. I am reluctant to update my system and the one on the laptop but will do if I have no other choice.
Getting it to work on my own computer would be a great start. Currently if I do Product > Archive. And then Export "As Mac Application" (unsigned). It creates the app but when I try and open it, it say "App couldn't open because of a problem". Is there a way I can debug this? Or an obvious thing I may have missed?
Ideally I want the app to work on my computer and to be able to transfer it to the target laptop and have it work on there too. I'll pay for the developer licence if I have no other choice but for a single-target application I feel like it's a waste of money.
You don't say it explicitly in your question but do you not have an apple developer certificate? If not, then you will not likely be able to sign the app appropriately to export it for use. If I'm not mistaken, when I export my apps (even for local testing on other machines in my house) the app gets signed with my developer certificate, enabling OSX to see that the app has been signed by a registered developer.
I believe you will be able to run the app in Xcode (without a developer certificate), but in order to export it you need a signature (development certificate) which is provided as part of the Apple Developer subscription.
An easy thing you could try to do, assuming your app builds:
Run your app
Right click the app icon in the dock
Click Options -> Show in Finder
Boom there's your app bundle. Send that over to your recipient
It seems fairly obvious in hindsight but I ended up installing XCode on the target computer (using the Apple Developer site to get the same version as I was running on the dev computer. I was then able to just copy the project across and run it. This wasn't ideal but it did the job.
I'm a newbie in OSX Development. I built an application in which will be distributed outside the Mac App Store. I have all the other certificates and keys working except for the Developer ID (App and Installer) for production.
I know that this may sound stupid, but for what it's worth, I just wanna make sure.
Will my app still be considered Developer ID - signed if I exported it as a Mac Installer Package instead of selecting Export Developer ID-signed Application, when I install it to its destination devices? Will it be successfully installed or be rejected with GateKeeper-enabled devices?
I have been scratching my head for this since for some weird reason, I cannot add a new Distribution Developer-ID from the Dev Center. I was able to add a Developer ID earlier this week however, I ran into some issues with my private keys. As per suggested by Apple and many other developers, I revoked all the Developer IDs and private keys to start fresh. The problem now is that I can't add any new Developer ID (Distribution). I cannot add in both Dev Center and by requesting through Xcode 5.0.1. I'm stuck.
I have submitted a Bug Report to Apple, but who knows when they'll be able to resolve it.
So now, temporarily, since I don't have any choice (I guess), I'll use the Mac Installer Package, but the question is, will it work?
Any help would be very, very much appreciated.
I've done this recently and have created a third Xcode project configuration to Debug and Release called Archive, which is a copy of Release except the app is signed using the Mac App Distribution / Third Party Mac App Developer and, confusingly there is a third name used for this same certificate.
I then changed the Archive scheme to use the Archive configuration to build.
Before doing this I had errors on some Macs when signing with my Developer ID, in some cases they claimed the app was corrupted, and in other cases I got gatekeeper blocking the app, forcing me to override it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
I personally use xcodebuild (from Jenkins) to build the app for distribution to testers, which I package in a .dmg so they only need to drag it to /Applications or ~/Applications and I do all that using a script within the Jenkins configuration. Your experience may differ to mine if you are using the Xcode app instead.
I'm currently working on sandboxing some of my applications and it looks like I'll have to get rid of a few features just to satisfy the Mac App Store sandboxing (and other) rules.
Obviously users won't be happy about losing features and I fear they won't blame Apple for making stupid rules and we developers will have to bear the brunt of the anger.
In this vein, I'm thinking about building a system that means that if a user buys the Mac App Store version, s/he'll get the "normal" distribution version for free.
Since I have no idea what the email of the people buying my apps on the Mac App Store is and I don't want to have to handle such cases "by hand", I'd like to find a way of doing so automatically.
I've been thinking about just looking on the hard disk, finding an installed version of the program from the Mac App Store and then unlock the "distribution" version as well.
I'm just not certain whether this doesn't break Mac App Store rules..
is looking for the MAS receipt okay in terms of the MAS rules?
can I verify the MAS receipt using the same mechanism as is embedded in the MAS version of my program?
Is anybody else thinking along these lines?
Best regards,
Frank
I do something like this to enable Mac App Store customers to easily beta test new versions of my app downloaded from my website while still enforcing licensing. Upon startup of the MAS version of my app, I copy its receipt into /Library/Application Support/MyAppName/. Beta versions of the non-MAS version of my app include the same receipt validation code as the MAS version. They look for a receipt in the App Support folder, and validate it, running in licensed-mode if the receipt is valid.
I've been doing this since shortly after the launch of the Mac App Store, as have other developers with no problem. What you describe should be just fine.
Regular distributions of Xcode are now available exclusively from the OS X App Store, but (like many, I expect) my App Store account and developer accounts use different Apple IDs. All my previous installations of Xcode have used my developer account, and I also wonder if there are critical parts of the Xcode configuration (e.g. provisioning profiles, etc.) that rely on Xcode having been installed using the developer Apple ID.
Are there any undesirable consequences to simply installing Xcode from the App Store using my personal account? Or, should I (can I, must I) log in to the App Store using my developer Apple ID instead?
You can use whatever Apple ID you want to download Xcode from the Mac App Store. There's nothing special about what it downloads. You'll need to log in to the developer portal though to download beta versions.
You can download Xcode (and lots of other stuff) from Apple's developer downloads website.
I very much doubt, therefore, that it matters whether you got it from the Mac App Store or not.
I am wondering how to build the follwoing scenario:
- I have one app which can be bought in the Mac App Store
- Because this app cannot use sandboxing which will me soon mandatory, I won't be able to update it in the Mac App Store.
- I want to continue to provide updates to these users but it will be outside MAS updates
- How can I check if the application has been legally acquired ?
Thanks for your help
I do something like this to enable Mac App Store customers to easily beta test new versions of my app downloaded from my website while still enforcing licensing. Upon startup of the MAS version of my app, I copy its receipt into /Library/Application Support/MyAppName/. Beta versions of the non-MAS version of my app include the same receipt validation code as the MAS version. They look for a receipt in the App Support folder, and validate it, running in licensed-mode if the receipt is valid.
I believe that MAS receipts are tied to the machine used to buy/download the app, so your users won't be able to transfer receipts between computers. The way to attack this problem might be to issue regular licenses to users who successfully validate a MAS receipt on at least one machine. There's an opportunity for cheating here, but I don't think it's any different than the weaknesses inherent in whatever licensing scheme you use.