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Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

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Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#81

Post by snackbroken »

ryandrake wrote: post #70
seam_carver wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't code signing even harder/more expensive on Windows?

Yes, Windows is terrible, too. The entire desktop software world has lost its collective mind and the platforms are turning themselves into locked down game consoles just so that grandma doesn't accidentally install malware.

> just so that grandma doesn't accidentally install malware

That's the stated reason. The actual reason is that they are salivating at the sight of how much money the app store and play store are making. They just don't want to move too quickly for fear of customers revolting.

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#82

Post by mrbombastic »

ceejayoz wrote: post #33
novafunc wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rather than just having the options "Done" and "Move to Bin", give me an option to actually run it without having to manually go into System Settings each and every time without disabling security features? The added friction feels more like a way to force developers to pay Apple an annual fee for distributing rather than for my safety. Not saying it doesn't help with safety, just that it's more weighed to the former…

> give me an option to actually run it without having to manually go into System Settings each and every time without disabling security features? People reflexively hit yes to these things.

Just make it a semi-hidden multistep option like browsers when you visit a site with a bad cert, just annoying to leave what you are doing go to system settings and fiddle.

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#83

Post by novok »

neoeno wrote: post #16
petra303 wrote: post #14

> I can use SmartID to verify my ID (and age) in about 20 seconds when buying an energy drink at the local grocery store Where do you have to show ID for that??

Under 16s can’t buy energy drinks in the UK Edit: currently a voluntary but widespread scheme by retailers, proposed to be law. TIL

can they also not buy tea, coffee or coca cola then? oh no, they might drink the caffeination amount of... 2 cans of pepsi!

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#84

Post by novok »

a_t48 wrote: post #41

Maybe I'm too dumb, but I haven't figured out a good way to sign just a binary (or a tar/zip containing a few binaries). I zipped up the binaries, sent them off to Apple, Apple comes back and says "yup, notarized!", and they still trigger the popup. I'm probably missing a step. I guess I'm not currently stapling the ticket to the binary, but supposedly you don't have to if you are running with a network connection.

you need to pay the tax, they are doing the 'pay money to reduce spam' solution

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#85

Post by novok »

bloppe wrote: post #15

I don't get the part about Homebrew. If you're using Homebrew, it doesn't make a ton of sense to use Itch.io. Just use Homebrew. Seems like a more appropriate place to distribute a dev tool anyway. You could set up a patreon and print a link to it when appropriate. That's basically what Vim does. I agree that Apple is dumb of course.

homebrew voluntarily applies the quarantine flag on casks (ex: apps) so you still need to pay the apple dev tax to distribute your mini app that way, itch.io does not so you don't get the lying scarewall

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#86

Post by a_t48 »

novok wrote: post #84
a_t48 wrote: post #41

Maybe I'm too dumb, but I haven't figured out a good way to sign just a binary (or a tar/zip containing a few binaries). I zipped up the binaries, sent them off to Apple, Apple comes back and says "yup, notarized!", and they still trigger the popup. I'm probably missing a step. I guess I'm not currently stapling the ticket to the binary, but supposedly you don't have to if you are running with a network connection.

you need to pay the tax, they are doing the 'pay money to reduce spam' solution

This was with payment to Apple

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#87

Post by hermitcrab »

GeekyBear wrote: post #75
KronisLV wrote: post #58

Author here, just pushed a quick update to the article. To be fair, compared to the prices of Certum and other providers if you ever want to sign something for Windows, perhaps Apple isn't uniquely overpriced (they all seem to be that way): https://www.certum.eu/en/code-signing-certificates/ Looking more into the Windows side of things, I also found Azure Artifact Signing which is supposedly affordable at 8.54 EUR pe…

To avoid having your application blocked by Windows SmartScreen, you need to pay extra for an extended validation code signing certificate. A normal code signing certificate is not sufficient. Here's an eight year old Stack Overflow discussion of the issue: > A guaranteed way to immediately and permanently get rid of the Microsoft SmartScreen warnings is to buy an "Extended Validation" (EV) code signing certificate f…

I have an OV cert for Windows, which is expensive enough. I just make sure to do a snapshot release using the new certificate to existing customers (through my newsletter and forum) a while before using it for new customers. That way there is time for the scary warnings to go away before any new customers see them.

Digital certificates providers are basically checking your id (mostly automted) and multiplying 2 prime numbers together. Then charging you several hundred dollars. A 1 year Sectigo certificate EV with USB key is $431.99. Nice work if you can get it.

I wrote this back in 2008:

https://successfulsoftware.net/2008/02/27/the-great-digital-...

But it has got much worse since then.

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#88

Post by Affric »

plufz wrote: post #24
novafunc wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rather than just having the options "Done" and "Move to Bin", give me an option to actually run it without having to manually go into System Settings each and every time without disabling security features? The added friction feels more like a way to force developers to pay Apple an annual fee for distributing rather than for my safety. Not saying it doesn't help with safety, just that it's more weighed to the former…

I also have things I want to change in gatekeeper, but that feature is not one of them. Just gut feeling but I would say 110% of all users, would just click ”start” on every unsigned app if it was that easy.

Bingo. I know I would.

I am the king of knowing immediately when I have fucked up.

“Undo” has made us far too comfortable with mistakes.

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#89

Post by 1over137 »

Zetaphor wrote: post #59

How does anyone who cares about open source or even development more generally see this and go "Yeah that's the OS I want to use"? I genuinely don't understand why so many developers are willing to compromise so much for a thin laptop.

It's not the thinness, it's the amazing battery life.

Re: Distributing Mac software is increasing my cortisol levels

#90

Post by weaksauce »

plufz wrote: post #24
novafunc wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Rather than just having the options "Done" and "Move to Bin", give me an option to actually run it without having to manually go into System Settings each and every time without disabling security features? The added friction feels more like a way to force developers to pay Apple an annual fee for distributing rather than for my safety. Not saying it doesn't help with safety, just that it's more weighed to the former…

I also have things I want to change in gatekeeper, but that feature is not one of them. Just gut feeling but I would say 110% of all users, would just click ”start” on every unsigned app if it was that easy.

they could do it like they do it for accessibility settings. you have to opt in for an app and you need to know damn well if it is a reputable app before giving those controls over. there's enough friction in that that it is not done by many apps but not hard enough that it's a huge ask to whitelist the app.
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