PyMacApp 4.0.2

Basic Tools to Build, Package, Sign, and Notarize Python Apps for MacOS

PyMacApp

pip3 install PyMacApp

This Repo creates a project that you can clone to streamline MacOS python desktop app development. It contains all necessary scripts to build your final project, as well as code-sign them from Apple (Developer Account required for some features).

Quickstart: Building & Packaging Your App (last updated in v.4.0.1)

from pymacapp.buildtools.app import App
from pymacapp.buildtools.package import Package
import os

# CREDENTIALS
APPLE_DEVELOPER_EMAIL = os.environ["APPLE_EMAIL"]
APPLE_DEVELOPER_TEAM_ID = os.environ["APPLE_DEVELOPER_TEAM_ID"]
APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD = os.environ["APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD"]
APP_HASH = App.get_first_hash()
PKG_HASH = Package.get_first_hash()

## APP

# create the app wrapper
app = App("My New App")
app.config("/path/to/main.py").build().sign(APP_HASH)

## PACKAGE

# create the package wrapper
package = Package(app, identifier="foo.bar")
# explicit authentication required starting in v.4.0.1
package.login(APPLE_DEVELOPER_EMAIL, APPLE_APP_SPECIFIC_PASSWORD, APPLE_DEVELOPER_TEAM_ID)
# begin processing
package.build().sign(Package.get_first_hash()).notarize()
package.log_full_notary_log()
package.staple()

Currently supports

This currently supports (and has been tested on) Python 3.9.9 on MacOS 11.6. This tool may work on other systems, but has not been tested. Feature (release phase):

• Building .app files (beta)
  • Adding custom files/resources to app files (alpha) [removed]
  • Custom URI Scheme & QApplication Class w/ Event Handler (alpha)
• Signing .app files (beta)
• Building .pkg files (beta)
• Signing .pkg files (alpha)
• Notarizing .pkg files (alpha)
• Stapling .pkg files (alpha)
• Custom build commands, natively in Python (beta)

Full Setup (Code-signing)

Precursor - PyPi: PyMacApp

pip3 install PyMacApp

• Uses PyInstaller, should install automatically

Precursor - Xcode

Make sure to have xcode installed, and verify that the xcode command line tools are installed:

• xcode-select --install

Part 1: Developer Account

Note: This section is taken from: https://gist.github.com/txoof/0636835d3cc65245c6288b2374799c43

(1/2) Create a developer account with Apple

• Go to https://developer.apple.com and shell out $99 for a developer account
• Download and install X-Code from the Apple App Store
• Open and run X-Code app and install whatever extras it requires
• Open the preferences pane (cmd+,)
• click the + in the lower right corner choose Apple ID
• enter your apple ID and password

(2/2) Create an App-Specific password

• Instructions from Apple to create: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204397
• Save this password (you will need it for notorizing)

Part 2: Get Your Hashes

(1/3) Create Certificates with XCode

• Open XCode
• In the top-apple Menu, go to XCode > Preferences > Accounts > Your Account > In the team, chose the Admin team > Manage Certificates in the bottom-right
• click the plus in the bottom corner
• choose "Developer ID Application"
• repeating, click the plus in the bottom corner
• choose "Developer ID Installer"

(2/3) Get Certificates and Add to Project

Note: as of version 2.0.0, you should use the App.get_first_hash() and Package.get_first_hash() to get your hashes in your build.py script

• to manually get hashes, run:

security find-identity -p basic -v

• your output will look like:

1. HASH_OF_ID_HERE "Developer ID Application: ..."
2. HASH_OF_ID_HERE "Developer ID Installer: ..." > > 2 valid identities found

• copy the appropriate hashes or simply use get_first_application_hash() or get_first_installer_hash() by importing them (from pymacapp.helpers import get_first_application_hash, get_first_installer_hash)

(3/3) Create your Identifiers

• developer.apple.com
• choose "account" in top right
• login
• "Certificates, IDs, and Profiles"
• on the left, switch to "Identifiers"
• create two App IDs, one for your .app and one for your .pkg
• it may be helpful to do something like com.your-domain.app-name for the .app and com.your-domain.app-name.pkg for the .pkg

Coding Your App

Code your app however you'd like. You'll need to identify a main script file (main.py or app.py); where ever you run your program from, that is your main script file.

Advanced Customization

Pre- and Post-Install Scripting

Better docs coming soon; see example under Quickstart. Please feel free to email me ([e-mail]) if you need advice on how I achieved this using PyMacApp.

Project History

This project began while performing work for Georgetown University's Department of Italian Studies. The code herein was needed to develop applications within the Department. Some of the code contains outside work, so this was a joint collaboration.

Changelog

[4.0.1] 10.31.2023 (latest)

• major refactoring due to deprecation of altool, resolving https://github.com/The-Nicholas-R-Barrow-Company-LLC/PyMacApp/issues/4
• Package.notorize method has been renamed to Package.notarize to fix this embarrassing typo
• removed Package.wait method in favor of Package.notarize(wait: bool)
• Implicit authorization during Package.notarize, et al., removed in favor of an explicit call of the Package.login method (see the Quickstart for demo auth flow)
• added an example build-example.py and example application under the example folder in the project root

---

[1.1.1] 03.19.2022

• added changelog to readme
• updated readme's quick-start example
• cleaned the pymacapp directory (removed unsupported beta and old content)
• added docstrings to all functions of App and Package
• added function to output log if notary service fails during Package.notarize(...).wait(...)

[1.2.0] 03.20.2022

• added alpha-feature: Resource (from pymacapp import Resource). This feature allows you to add custom files to your application using the App.resource(...) method.

[1.2.1] 03.22.2022

• added alpha-feature: custom commands (from pymacapp.custom import bash)
• note: Resource feature is experiencing bug that is not yet patched.

[1.2.2] 03.22.2022

• patching release 1.2.1
• note: Resource feature is experiencing bug that is not yet patched.

[1.2.3] 03.26.2022

• relocating custom commands (from pymacapp.command import cmd) and moving to beta
• removing: Resource feature introduced in 1.2.0

[1.2.4] 03.26.2022

• bug fixes
• moving some subprocess commands from subprocess.Popen(...) to a custom function which uses subprocess.run(...)
• updating README

[1.2.5] 03.27.2022

• added: new coverage for py-makespec (included with pyinstaller)
• deprecated: App.setup(...); see below
• added: App.config(...) to use new coverage for py-makespec

[1.2.6] 03.27.2022

• minor bug fixes to new validators

[1.2.7] 03.27.2022

• minor bug fixes to new coverage for py-makespec

[1.2.8] 03.27.2022

• minor bug fixes to new coverage for py-makespec

[1.2.9] 03.27.2022

• minor bug fixes to new coverage for py-makespec

[1.3.0] 03.28.2022

• added: pymacapp.versioning.VersionLocker. This feature allows you to set a version (an unlimited-length string of non-negative integers delimited by periods ('.')) and pymacapp will store the version number in a file whenever its .lock() method is called (this is useful so that you can decide when to lock the version (i.e. do not lock until after the app successfully builds, successfully packages, etc.)).

[2.0.1] 04.01.2022

• reformatted major sections of the code to better structure the project for maintaining into the future
• completed migration to modern subprocess utilization

[2.0.2] 04.01.2022

• fixed README to reflect 2.0.1 changes

[2.0.3] 04.03.2022

• fixed a bug where default entitlements.plist did not package

[2.0.4] 04.03.2022

• continuing to fix a bug where default entitlements.plist did not package

[2.0.5] 04.03.2022

• continuing to fix a bug where default entitlements.plist did not package

[2.0.6] 04.03.2022

• fixing bug related to Scripts collecting

[2.0.7] 04.03.2022

• fixing bug related to Scripts collecting

[2.0.8] 04.03.2022

• fixing bug related to Scripts being made executable in non-terminal environments (i.e. PyCharm)

[2.1.0] 04.13.2022

• adds the ability to use --hidden-import MODULENAME and --collect-submodules MODULENAME by passing lists of module names in the App.config(...) command

[2.2.0] 05.13.2022

• adds the (alpha) ability to define a custom schema (myappschema://...) to access/launch the app from a web browser; define in the app.config(..., url_schema="...")

[2.2.1] 05.13.2022

• bug fixes for v.2.2.0

[2.2.2] 05.13.2022

• bug fixes for v.2.2.1 that caused a faulty specpath

[2.2.3] 05.14.2022

• bug fixes for v.2.2.2 that caused a faulty specpath by moving the custom url_schema to a plist modification post-build instead of modifying the spec file pre-build

[2.2.4] 05.14.2022

• bug fixes for v.2.2.3

[3.0.1] 05.14.2022

• major restructuring for the future of PyMacApp, now to include (a) buildtools and (b) runtools
  • pymacapp.buildtools contains, at this point, app and package which are designed to aid in the creation of building, signing, and notorizing .app and .pkg files
  • pymacaoo.runtools is intended to contain tools for use in coding python applications
    • introduces CustomURIApplication, a subclass of QApplication for PySide6 to handle Custom URIs, pairing with url_schema in App.build (from pymacapp.runtools import CustomURIApplication)
• PyMacApp will now require PySide6 to support these new runtools

[3.0.2] 05.14.2022

• relative import bug fixes

[3.0.3] 05.14.2022

• bug fixes for setup.py

[3.1.0] 05.16.2022

• adds the ability to set your own .spec file: App.config(use_custom_spec='/path/to/file.spec')

[3.1.1] 05.16.2022

• adds a URIRouter (https://github.com/The-Nicholas-R-Barrow-Company-LLC/uri-router or pip3 install URIRouter) to pymacapp.runtools.CustomURIApplication

[3.2.0] 06.13.2022

• adds the ability to register the .app as having the ability to open extensions (.pdf, .docx, .txt, et cetera)

[3.2.1] 06.13.2022

• v.3.2.0 bug fixes

[3.2.2] 06.13.2022

• v.3.2.1 bug fixes