Electron-builder: Create Mac Package Installer for non-MAS distribution
- Version: 17.19.1
- Target: Mac
According to Apple's code signing documentation you need to sign your app and the package installer with Developer ID Application respectively Developer ID Installer certificates. 3rd Party Mac Developer Application and 3rd Party Mac Developer Installer are only valid for distribution through the Mac Store.
We plan on distributing our app outside of the Mac Store as a package installer and not as a disk image or archive. However, that configuration is right not supported in electron-builder.
I propose an additional target pkg that will sign the app and installer with the Developer ID * certificates and create a package installer vs a disk image for distribution
eriedl
All 4 comments
Duplicates #52 Coud you please explain why do you want package installer instead of DMG?
develar
on 4 Nov 2016
A couple of reasons. For one Apple is pushing for real installers over distribution of disk images, which just mounts like an external disk on your computer. I also talked to our internal Mac OS developers and they also suggested that distribution should be in form of a package installer. You can read through their documentation and you will find they talk only about installers and not about disk images anymore: Distributing Your Mac App at the very bottom, App Distribution Guide
With a disk image, a lot of users don't get it that you have to drag the app to your local disk somewhere, ideally to the Applications folder, to run it. They just run it from the disk image directly, which can lead to problems if the image gets unmounted at some point. If the user is part of an enterprise that uses something like Casper to distribute software internally, they also like package installers over disk images as they can be better scripted. You may have also run into an situation where companies have had their installers packaged into a disk image.
It might seem that having an installer is too much overhead, but I disagree. One could argue also that the installer for Windows or the Debian package support is overhead, too. I find installers very handy and confident inspiring for the end user as they know exactly what's going to happen. Especially, if the installer is also signed. Keep in mind, not all end-users are tech-savvy enough to understand the difference between a DMG and a PKG. They just like to install that software on their system and get going.
Having a PKG would also allow us to add future components that may need to be installed in the system outside of the app folder.
You may ask also why don't we distribute our app via the Mac App Store because there an installer is greated. Well, MAS distribution requires the app to be sandboxed, which our currently does not support. And you cannot distribute apps that are signed with the MAS certs outside of the app store. Gatekeeper won't let you install them if they were downloaded outside of the store.
eriedl
on 4 Nov 2016
@eriedl
With a disk image, a lot of users don't get it that you have to drag the app to your local disk somewhere, ideally to the Applications folder, to run it.
you are right here. I am trying to create if someone run application from other place then Application folder prompt them to move app to application folder. Yet i have not got success. But i will surly work on that, and try to contribute
govi2010
on 4 Nov 2016
@eriedl Thanks for comprehensive answer. Although personally I don't find your argument valid, in general, I see that you understand what you want. pkg will be first-class target.
develar
on 4 Nov 2016
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Most helpful comment
A couple of reasons. For one Apple is pushing for real installers over distribution of disk images, which just mounts like an external disk on your computer. I also talked to our internal Mac OS developers and they also suggested that distribution should be in form of a package installer. You can read through their documentation and you will find they talk only about installers and not about disk images anymore: Distributing Your Mac App at the very bottom, App Distribution Guide
With a disk image, a lot of users don't get it that you have to drag the app to your local disk somewhere, ideally to the Applications folder, to run it. They just run it from the disk image directly, which can lead to problems if the image gets unmounted at some point. If the user is part of an enterprise that uses something like Casper to distribute software internally, they also like package installers over disk images as they can be better scripted. You may have also run into an situation where companies have had their installers packaged into a disk image.
It might seem that having an installer is too much overhead, but I disagree. One could argue also that the installer for Windows or the Debian package support is overhead, too. I find installers very handy and confident inspiring for the end user as they know exactly what's going to happen. Especially, if the installer is also signed. Keep in mind, not all end-users are tech-savvy enough to understand the difference between a DMG and a PKG. They just like to install that software on their system and get going.
Having a PKG would also allow us to add future components that may need to be installed in the system outside of the app folder.
You may ask also why don't we distribute our app via the Mac App Store because there an installer is greated. Well, MAS distribution requires the app to be sandboxed, which our currently does not support. And you cannot distribute apps that are signed with the MAS certs outside of the app store. Gatekeeper won't let you install them if they were downloaded outside of the store.