Mac OS 15.1 - Sideloading?

General
1

Hello all,

Trying to make sense of the issue of sideloading apps on Mac OS 15.1. Now in the latest salvo on sideloading by Apple I am hoping to get some insights from actual users on Godot on Mac as I use a Windows PC, I am not affected (yet), but, I think it is important.

But it appears that you are not allowed to run any unsigned apps on your Mac OS 15.1 equipped PC. My questions are:

  1. Now is Godot any version considered signed like can you even run the software on Mac 15.1?
  2. If you can run the engine and complete the game and package it up, can you run the game on the Mac? Or, is it considered unsigned?
  3. If you want to send your game to friends to test it out and get feedback, can they load up and play on a Mac.
  4. If the game is good and wish to pursue selling it in whatever method will it load on users Mac PCs?
  5. What about other game engines - Will they run/load on Mac thinking Unity/Unreal? As they are the ones I am familiar with.
  6. What about if you are doing a app development course through Uni or just personal projects and you compile it into an executable would you be able to test it out on Mac?
  7. What if you develop a web app that has front/back end parts will this work under Mac OS?

I am not very knowledgeable about such topics, but, I need to know about these particular topics moving forward. So, any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou and Regards.

2

HI,

I’m, running all on 15.1 with no issue…

You need to sign your exported App following the signing process, if you wish to distribute in the App Store or be considered an approved developer. If you use the ADHOC signing process you can give your Mac app to others but they’ll need to right-click and chose open the first time.

Ryn

1 Like
3

I saw more on this and the is a workaround where you type:

  • sudo spctl --master disable

in the terminal to disable Gatekeeper. Thank goodness there is that at least for now. So if I put that in the instructions file on a game I make that should cover that for the time being.

Cheers.

4

I’ve never had a need to do that, in system prefs just make sure apps are allowed from App Store and approved developers, then the right click trick works when distribution to your team or from you own web site.

I’ve tried this on 15.1 and previous versions without issue.

I would add that suggesting people disable the security manager just to run your program would not be the best approach.

1 Like
5

Sorry I can’t really answer your questions, but I did want to 2nd Ryn’s comment!

I would add that suggesting people disable the security manager just to run your program would not be the best approach.

This would be a huge red flag for me. Not only would I not do it, but it would make me very suspicious and likely to avoid all your games in future.

3 Likes
6

So, then it looks like making games for Mac OS is out of the equation then. That is what I needed to know. I don’t want to spend hundreds of $$ to become a Mac OS developer, I don’t even know the hoops I would have to jump through to do so or whether it would be worth it. Good to know. And that Gatekeeper workaround is likely to be patched out in the next update anyway, so, no software unless it’s signed will be able to be run.

Thanks for responding.

7

Until your game is ready for distribution and only if you want to distribute through the Mac App Store do you need to pay a small fee to Apple to handle all the sales of your app.

If you plan to distribute the game yourself, you can elect not to use the App Store and sign your app with the ADHOC or offical process. Setting up an Apple Developer account is a simple process, basically it’s just like an Apple ID but linked to the developer stream.

A developer account is $99 USD , if you wish to use the App Store. Myself and many of my friends have used this approach for ages.

Alternatively there are many companies that provide services to check and sign Apps for you, for a fee. There are also many Apps available that make this process even simpler, though I’ve found I’ve never needed anything other than the builtin Godot wizard thou others may have different opinions.

Best

Ryn

1 Like
8

Well, that doesn’t sound too painful the video I was watching said it costs “hundreds of dollars” in USD, but, $99, even in Australian currency isn’t too much of a cost to bare.

You have put my mind to rest.

9

Glad to be able to help.

Ryn

1 Like