macOS App Release Management System

A comprehensive toolset for managing macOS application releases using the Sparkle framework. This system automates the process of building, signing, notarizing, and distributing macOS applications with automatic update support.

Features

• Automated version management
• DMG creation and signing
• Notarization with Apple's notary service
• Sparkle framework integration for automatic updates
• Appcast XML generation and management (beta)
• Configurable release types (major, minor, patch) (beta)

Prerequisites

• macOS development environment
• Xcode Command Line Tools
• Python 3.6+
• Required Python packages:
  • lxml
• Valid Apple Developer ID
• Sparkle framework integration in your app
• AWS S3 bucket (or similar) for hosting updates

Installation

1. Clone this repository into your project:

   git clone <repository-url> scripts
   cd scripts

2. Make the scripts executable:

   chmod +x release.sh
   chmod +x updateAppcast.py

3. Configure your environment in config.sh

Configuration

Edit config.sh to match your application settings:

Application Configuration

APP_NAME="YourAppName"
APP_BUNDLE_ID="com.yourcompany.YourAppName"
PROJECT_DIR="/path/to/your/project"

Signing Configuration

KEYCHAIN_PROFILE="YourProfile"
DEVELOPER_ID="Developer ID Application: Your Name (TEAM_ID)"

Distribution Configuration

S3_BASE_URL="https://your-updates-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/"

Usage

Basic Release

To create a new release:

./release.sh --type minor --sparkle /path/to/sparkle --notes "Release notes here"

Command Line Options

Option	Description
-t, --type	Version type ( major | minor | patch )
-s, --sparkle	Path to Sparkle binary how to get it?
-n, --notes	Release notes ( HTML format supported )
-p, --project	Path to Xcode project directory (overrides config.sh)
-h, --help	Show help message

Example Workflow

1. Make your application changes in your project directory.
2. Commit your changes to git.
3. Clone this repository into your project directory or add the scripts directory to your environment.
4. Run the release script:

   ./release.sh \
   --type minor \
   --sparkle "/path/to/sparkle" \
   --notes "<h2>What's New</h2><ul><li>New feature added</li><li>Bug fixes</li></ul>"

5. Upload the generated DMG and appcast.xml to your distribution server

File Structure

scripts/
├── release.sh: Main release script
├── config.sh: Configuration settings
├── updateAppcast.py: Python script for managing the Sparkle appcast

project/
├── appcast.xml: Generated update feed for Sparkle
├── exportOptions.plist: Xcode export options
├── Info.plist: Info.plist configuration for Sparkle

Sparkle Integration

Ensure your application has Sparkle framework integrated:

1. Add Sparkle to your Xcode project
2. Configure your Info.plist with:

   <key>SUFeedURL</key>
   <string>https://your-updates-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com/appcast.xml</string>
   <key>SUPublicEDKey</key>
   <string>Your-Sparkle-Public-Key</string>

AWS S3 Setup

1. Create an S3 bucket for hosting updates
2. Configure bucket policy for public read access
3. Enable static website hosting (optional)
4. Update S3_BASE_URL in config.sh

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Signing Failed
  • Verify your Developer ID in config.sh
  • Ensure your certificates are valid
  • Check Keychain access
• Notarization Failed
  • Verify your Keychain profile
  • Check Apple Developer account status
  • Ensure proper entitlements
• Sparkle Updates Not Working
  • Verify SUFeedURL in Info.plist
  • Check appcast.xml accessibility
  • Validate Sparkle public key

Contributing

• Fork the repository
• Create your feature branch
• Commit your changes
• Push to the branch
• Create a Pull Request

License

see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues and feature requests, please create an issue in the repository.