On 2014-04-17 24:07 +0100, Johan Engelen wrote:

Actually, I believe the Mac developer ID is just for being able to sign the installer (so the OS doesn't complain upon first use), and not to put Inkscape in the Apple Store.

Yes - though not the installer is signed (inskcape doesn't use one btw - the DMG is not an installer), it's the application bundle itself.

Newer versions of OS X include a feature called 'Gatekeeper' which checks apps which have been downloaded from the internet, as soon as the user attempts to launch them, and allows or blocks the launch based on whether they are signed or not. It was initially introduced as 'malware protection'.

Developer IDs which can be used to sign applications are only available for registered Apple Developers. The membership costs 100$ per year.

See also: - OS X: About Gatekeeper http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5290

<quote> Gatekeeper makes it safer to download apps by protecting you from inadvertently installing malicious software on your Mac. The safest place to download apps for your Mac is the Mac App Store. Apple reviews each app before it’s accepted by the store, and if there’s ever a problem with an app, Apple can quickly remove it from the store. When you download software from any other place on the Internet, Gatekeeper makes that safer, too. Developers can get a unique Developer ID from Apple and use it to digitally sign their apps. The Developer ID allows Gatekeeper to block apps created by malware developers and to verify that apps haven’t been tampered with. If an app was developed by an unknown developer — one with no Developer ID — Gatekeeper can keep your Mac safe by blocking the app from being installed. Gatekeeper gives you more control over what you install.

Gatekeeper gives you three security options. You can download and install apps from anywhere on the web. Or you can choose the safest option and download and install apps only from the Mac App Store. Or use the default option, which allows you to download apps from the Mac App Store as well as those signed with a Developer ID. If an app is unsigned, Gatekeeper blocks the app from being installed and warns you that it did not come from an identified developer. If you’re sure the app is safe, you can manually override Gatekeeper by Control-clicking the app and choosing to open it. </quote> http://www.apple.com/osx/what-is/security.html

On 16-4-2014 23:53, Ted Gould wrote:

...

On Wed, 2014-04-16 at 22:19 +0200, Johan Engelen wrote:

...

This just came up on the dev maillist: does Inkscape have a Mac

developer ID. This looks like a board issue. Although I have a Mac, I am quite the noob on it, and do not know about Mac developer IDs. Perhaps su-v can chime in.

If this is something we need for a smoother experience on Mac, I hope someone can take initiative or tell me how to get the ID and credentials for us. Considering we are so close to native OSX builds, it'd be pretty nice to release 0.91 with it.

The problem is that we're a GPL'd program with shared copyright. There are some that believe the Apple Store is incompatible with the GPL, the FSF being one of them:

http://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement

Personally I'd disagree saying that as long as the source is available in the exact version as what is distributed in the binaries in the store and those binaries are built with a free compiler you're not effectively limited the user, even if the contract says that you could be limited in your use of those binaries. Practically speaking you have the same freedom.

But my opinion, or the opinion of the board doesn't matter. /Every/ copyright holder of a shared copyright project would have the right to e-mail Apple and claim that distributing Inkscape is a copyright violation and ask them to take down the app. Apple would have no choice but to remove it from the application store.

So while I do believe being in the Mac store would be good for Inkscape and Inkscape users, I don't think that we can do it for practical considerations. It makes me worry about Free Software's continued success on Mac OS and Windows.

Ted

On Wed, Apr 16, 2014 at 05:51:28PM -0500, Ted Gould wrote:

Would it make sense to pay for "Person X" to become a developer and have them be in charge of signing packages or would it make more sense to try to get some sort of Inkscape developer account?

Yes, I have been thinking for a while we need to establish Platform Managers, whose focus would be achieving the best user experience on that particular platform. Platforms would be Windows, Mac, Ubuntu, RedHat, etc.

These individuals would not be literal developers necessarily, nor would hold any sort of responsibility for fixing bugs or writing packaging scripts. But they'd need to have a good handle on the state of the package for that platform, know the top 10 platform-specific bugs off the top of their head, and generally be most knowledgeable about what knobs and levers need to be pulled to get Inkscape up and running on their platform. They would need to care about like presenting a good entry in that platform's app store, etc.

This person would also be the contact point for the platform, for things like package signing and app store accounts and so on.

Then, at release time, they'd have a voice in helping decide release-blockers and timing for release announcements and so forth. This way, if a platform lacks a volunteer to act as platform manager, we don't block on that platform's issues for release decisions.

Bryce