Catalina Tips

Targets macOS
21

Of course, I tried MBS, as well as declares. Nothing worked.

22

I believe that launching Applications has been blocked as a “Security” risk.

In Beta 4 of Catalina; I was able to make one of my applications work. I finally had one app that didn’t crash on Catalina.

With Beta 5; I was able to get my HDR application to work, the NSInconsistencyException was no longer being raised and the warning about incorrect constant values no longer appears. SpcecialFolder.trash is still broken and that was causing a problem; I used the NSFileManager to get a path to the Trash and that resolved into a folderitem.

However updating the HDR preview is painfully slow; it’s acceptable on Mojave, but on Catalina… Ouch… Hopefully Apple will improve it. I’ve already identified some points that I can alter.

But it looks like we’re slowly getting there.

23

Hi Michel

When you tested the above MBS functions was it n an app that was notarized?
As I mentioned, this code worked for us yesterday when remote debugging so I’m trying to understand why it works for us and not you.

24

I read it as if a DMG was SIGNED before 1 June, it was OK.
But if SIGNED afterwards, it had to be notarised. I didn’t pick up anything about the expiry date of the certs.
I’m switching to PKG

25

[quote=448482:@Jeff Tullin]I read it as if a DMG was SIGNED before 1 June, it was OK.
But if SIGNED afterwards, it had to be notarised. I didn’t pick up anything about the expiry date of the certs.
I’m switching to PKG[/quote]
Hi Jeff.

I don’t think switching to PKG will allow you to avoid notarization. I’m sure I read in the Apple developer documentation that these had to be notarized as well.

26

Correct, it won’t .
Basically anything shipped from now needs notarisation, or risks being smeared as malicious by Apple.
Im switching to PKG because App Wrapper makes that easier than DMG.
Notarisation has added anything up to 40 minutes to my build cycle.

27

notarization ?
passport will come in the Beach Boys year (20/20) :wink:
(@ amazon The Beach Boys: 20/20

Enjoy (after all these efforts for Catalina ߅)

28

[quote=448490:@Jeff Tullin]Basically anything shipped from now needs notarisation, or risks being smeared as malicious by Apple.
Im switching to PKG because App Wrapper makes that easier than DMG.
Notarisation has added anything up to 40 minutes to my build cycle.[/quote]
Hmmm… Personally I wouldn’t recommend distribution via PKG over DMG; especially if we’re talking about Catalina.

In my testing (with Beta3) and a Pkg file;

  • Do I want to download from this website (allow/deny).
  • Do I want to open the file I just downloaded from the Website (Open/Cancel) - Of course I just downloaded it; what’d you expect me to just look at the file icon?
  • Do I want to allow Apple installer to access the Downloads folder (allow/deny) - That’s where the file is, so yeah.
  • Do I want to allow Apple installer access to the list of disks connected to the computer (allow/deny) - This is %^#$^%&$ stupid.
  • Do I want … YES; YOU PIECE OF USELESS &^&%^

Open the application:

  • Do you allow this application to send you notifications (allow/deny) - FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
  • Do you want to hurl computer out of the window (allow/deny).

DMG is more slightly more ??; but it’s going to give your customers a less frustrating experience.

29

[quote=448490:@Jeff Tullin]Correct, it won’t .
Basically anything shipped from now needs notarisation, or risks being smeared as malicious by Apple.
Im switching to PKG because App Wrapper makes that easier than DMG.
Notarisation has added anything up to 40 minutes to my build cycle.[/quote]
ah - ok. We don’t use App Wrapper as we have our own build processes that do the equivalent.
Out of interest, are you notarizing your developer builds for QA testing or are you just notarizing your release version?

30

The issue of launching executables under Catalina will certainly be addressed by 2019R2. So this discussion is partially unnecessary, until it is released.

I cannot discuss beta versions, of course.
31

Saw this and thought of you https://twitter.com/tperfitt/status/1157015909925642241

32

Thanks, Sam, for making my day.

33

This is so true. :slight_smile:

I don’t swordfight , but there is a definite opportunity to go make a coffee or 4 while I’m waiting for the big Thumbs-up to happen on 4 or 5 built packages.

34

[quote=448482:@Jeff Tullin]I read it as if a DMG was SIGNED before 1 June, it was OK.
But if SIGNED afterwards, it had to be notarised. I didn’t pick up anything about the expiry date of the certs.
I’m switching to PKG[/quote]

After doing some more reading: you’re right. Which means I’m going to need to notarize by then.

(more comments and questions about this, eventually, in the threads having to do with notarization).

35

Won’t be long before that applies to all apps on the machine, even Finder. So we can sit there looking at a blank screen and marvelling at how secure the system is.

36

Not DogAlina related, as I do this with the macOS desert version, but it happens again that DMG Canvas failed to let sign the DMG using AppWrapper 3.9.1 (DMG Canvas issue, i presume) .

But the DMG itself will be created correctly, and signing the DMG file itself using AppWrapper works fine.

Notarizing? Need to examine how to notarizing then.

37

I was just doing it for release.
But recently I found that debug apps were behaving differently - because they weren’t hardened or notarised - so that’s going to have to change too.

38

FYI, beta 5 release notes are available: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/macos_release_notes/macos_catalina_10_15_beta_5_release_notes

39

FYI if you’re testing DMG signing and notarization in Catalina, beta 5 has apparently fixed an issue: