Netnewswire: Cannot set NNW as default RSS reader in Preferences

[jaanus]

Version: NNW 5.1d3 (3003)
OS: Catalina 10.15.6 (19G2021)

How to reproduce: Open NNW preferences. Observe that another reader is default RSS reader. Try to set NNW as default reader.

Observed: preference does not change.

Expected: NNW is set as default reader.

See the attached video.

NNW as default.mov.zip

[vincode-io]

This looks like it is because the app is sandboxed. LSSetDefaultHandlerForURLScheme is returning -54.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26601840/making-app-default-handler-on-osx-10-10-with-sandbox-enabled

[brentsimmons]

Damn.

Do we have any options besides not sandboxing?

[vincode-io]

I don't think so. I've been trying to find some kind of entitlement we could add, but searching the web isn't turning up anything.

[brentsimmons]

Maybe somebody on Twitter has a good idea? https://twitter.com/brentsimmons/status/1300571980488294402

[heckj]

🤦 That's a real bite on the whole sandboxing setup, isn't it. I'll also do what digging I can...

[galad87]

An unsandboxed XPC service to simply change the default RSS reader would be a solution (outside of the app store).

[vincode-io]

After rereading the comments on your Twitter post, I'm for removing the feature. I lot of people feel strongly that apps should be sandboxed. I feel like they should be, if possible.

You were leaning toward a separate utility and I think that would be a good idea. There isn't any reason that it couldn't be a SwiftUI app and I think we would have plenty of volunteers willing to write it. If didn't give any preference to the RSS reader, I think it would be useful to the Mac/RSS ecosystem in general.

[brentsimmons]

Agreed. Let’s do the separate app and remove this feature from 5.1.

[jaanus]

Makes sense to have a separate utility app. What would NNW preferences show about it?
1) nothing at all, completely disappears from NNW UI?
2) link to a web destination that provides the utility app and more information?