Apple macOS Sierra beta no longer allows unsigned apps to run | Hacker News Reader

Apple macOS Sierra beta no longer allows unsigned apps to run

netkas.org

16 pointsTepix16 comments

Apple has removed the option to allow unsigned apps to run from the macOS sierra beta.

Perhaps you think this isn't a big deal. You're wrong. If Apple doesn't change this by the time of the release of the OS, OS X 10.11 will be the last one I use.

Recommended reading/watching:

There is a war coming: Cory Doctorow on the future regulation of general purpose computation – video

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2012/apr/19/c...

Curated computing is no substitute for the personal and handmade

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/jul/27/curated-c...

I bet they'll still allow it, judging by the implications it would have. But that's my personal bet.

But, You can still open apps by right clicking and pressing Option (Alt) + "Open" menu item. It'll run and be approved going forward.

Wow. That's huge. I hope it's only for the beta, although I don't see any logic behind adding it back for the public release ( in terms of beta testing ).

I don't think the title is true. It is just an UX thing and I believe an improvement.

After an attempt to run an unsigned app, it will appear explicitly listed on that dialog and you can click a button to explicitly allow it. So instead of allowing all apps from "anywhere", you allow them on one by one basis.

At least this is what happened to me with one unsigned app (after installing 10.12 DP on a clean partition).

So things like Homebrew will no longer work?? Wow, if true that's a serious issue.

Codesigning is only a requirement for app bundles (i.e. native GUI applications), not all executables. The Twitter link indicates that you can still right-click an application, choose open and agree to let it run (this is only necessary the first time you run it), the current beta just removed the Download Apps From: Anywhere option. As of El Capitan (or maybe even Yosemite), OS X automatically changes the setting from Anywhere to App Store and identified developers after 30 days (there are extra command-line hoops to jump through to disable the 30 day expiration).

I'm in favor of the change as long as the contextual menu Open option remains.

I don't think it's that big of a deal. You can still right-click to open the unsigned app and let it run, which to me is a better option than setting the option to Anywhere as I still want to see the prompt for unsigned apps.

In addition, the release notes mentioned there is a bug related to this suggesting they do not intend to disable this function.

It looks like the fact that the button is missing, is an acknowledged bug, if you read through this conversation on Twitter... https://twitter.com/patrickwardle/status/742511355614224385?...

Apple is A/B testing if it's the right time to make macOs even more like iOS with this change (small radio button but huge consequence). Looks like people are not happy with it so they'll probably roll it back but until when ?

Can you still right-click on an unsigned app and choose Open to get a confirmation dialog?

They mention this as a valid workaround. Personally, given this, I don't know why anyone would ever have used the "Any" setting.

`find /usr/local -flags +x -type f -exec codesign -s "-" {};`

I'm not convinced forcing codesigning in something like brew is the worst idea ever though...

also, shameless plug, does anyone know how ad-hoc code signing actually works in OS X?

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/234425/how-does-ad...

None at all? So you'd be paying for the privilege of writing code for your own computer? Wow.

Monetarily you only need to pay if you intend to distribute via the App Store.

Non-App Store distribution just requires a free Apple Developer account.

I think most people would agree that it's not the money that's the issue, it's that you need to somehow register with apple to compile and develop and app (presuming that's what this means).

Also what does this imply about non-apple toolsets? If I decide I want to try out gcc 6 on my mac, could I then not run programs compiled with it?

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