macOS: Bundle style pkg not supported in Sequoia

[eholtam]

The current macOS package offered is the Bundle-style package which is not supported at all starting with macOS 15 Sequoia. 

Can the ExifTool package be built using the Flat-style that is universally supported?

A brief description of the differences and how to generate a package can be viewed at https://blog.kandji.io/packages-pkgs
Detailed information can be found at https://matthew-brett.github.io/docosx/flat_packages.html

Thanks,
Eric

[Phil Harvey]

Thanks.  I'll look into this.

- Phil

[Phil Harvey]

Hi Eric,

I've just released ExifTool 12.88 which uses a package format that I believe should be compatible with Sequoia.

- Phil

[greybeard]

Are you able to notarise the package so that it doesn't always complain about being from an unidentified developer?

I must admit that I don't know if this is possible for a Perl package but if I create a program using Xcode I can send it to Apple and get it notarised so that MacOS doesn't complain when it gets installed.

[Phil Harvey]

I don't know how to do this, but I think that sending it to Apple probably isn't going to fly.

But the good news is that you can use this ExifTool command on the pkg file to bypass the complaint:

exiftool -XAttrQuarantine= FILE.pkg

- Phil

[blue-j]

I know how to do this, and you don't have to send the code to Apple if you're not selling it on the App Store.  You have to have a free Apple Developer account set up though, and do some minor one-time setup, and then you can sign the app when you post a release.  Ping me privately if you want me to support this for you.  - J

[Phil Harvey]

Can someone with MacOS Sonoma and/or an M3 Mac please test the new flat package to see if it works for you? (download ExifTool 12.90 for MacOS here).

There is a report of a failure to install on an M3 Senoma system.

Thanks.

- Phil

[greybeard]

Hi Eric,

I've just released ExifTool 12.88 which uses a package format that I believe should be compatible with Sequoia.

- Phil

The Exiftool 12.92 MacOS package is rejected by the installer under the latest beta release of MacOS 15.0 Sequoia

[Phil Harvey]

This is expected because the package isn't signed.  But can't you get around this (see the second note in the MacOS install instructions).

- Phil

[greybeard]

This is expected because the package isn't signed.  But can't you get around this (see the second note in the MacOS install instructions).

- Phil

With recent MacOS releases (up to Sonoma) it was possible to ctrl click, open the installer and over-ride the security message. You don't get that option with Sequoia.

UPDATE; It was possible to over-ride the quarantine flag with the xattr command (I couldn't use the exiftool command from post #4 as ExifTool wasn't installed on the machine)

This was the command:

sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine ExifTool-12.92.pkg

[Phil Harvey]

Thanks.  I hope to be able to sign this package to avoid this problem (will work on this), but until then I'll add your xattr command to the install instructions. (Was the -r necessary?  I don't think it should be needed.  Also, I would think you could do this without sudo since you should own the file.)

- Phil

[greybeard]

Thanks.  I hope to be able to sign this package to avoid this problem (will work on this), but until then I'll add your xattr command to the install instructions. (Was the -r necessary?  I don't think it should be needed.  Also, I would think you could do this without sudo since you should own the file.)

- Phil

You are absolutely right in both cases - I was being lazy and used Google to get the command syntax as it isn't something I use often - and didn't properly check what I found - the following also worked

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ExifTool-12.92.pkg

[Phil Harvey]

Thanks.  I've added this to the install notes.

- Phil

[mfoust]

The version number of the "Package Version" is showing 0. Can this be changed so the version number is accurate? Suspicious Package shows this in the Receipts section.

[StarGeek]

Phil is currently away and should be back soon, so there won't be a response until then. You can hit the "no alerts or email" button in the lower/upper right corner to be notified when there's a response.