electron-builder 20.29.0+ bundles fail to run on macOS Catalina

There seems to be a regression between electron-builder 20.28.4 and 20.29.0 that makes the app not run on macOS Catalina with an error like “The application Foo.app can’t be opened”:

Note that this is not a notarization error, it’s something different.

Repro steps:

• Package app using electron-webpack-quick-start@master on a Mojave machine, upload .zip to the internet, download on Catalina and attempt to run the app. The app fails to run with the message above.

• Package app using electron-webpack-quick-start@09ae10e82e728047aed5e7341c4a555398fee33d (uses electron-builder 20.28.1), repeat steps above, and confirm that it works fine on Catalina although you might get a different “can’t check for malicious software” app notarization error

To make our app compatible with macOS Catalina, we downgraded to electron-builder@20.28.4, build into a directory using --dir, manually run electron-osx-sign with --entitlements="entitlements.plist" --entitlements-inherit="entitlements.plist" --hardened-runtime=true, manually run electron-notarize, and manually create a .zip.

[mcous]

I had assumed that Electron v4.x was a requirement for notarisation but not really sure where I got that from.

Oh man, if you do find any concrete information on that, would you please ping me? I’d like to keep us on the 3.x line for macOS 10.9 support. Then again, Electron v3 is EoL’d, so maybe I should just do the responsible thing and update.

In terms of repro, I running into some really weird stuff:

• Build machine: macOS 10.14.6
• Test machine: VM running macOS 10.15 Beta (19A546d)

Testing with an unnotarized app I have no issues with the ZIP file on my 10.14 machine. On the 10.15 machine, where I obtain the ZIP file by downloading it from a server:

• Unzip the archive by double-clicking (Archive Utility)
  • “The application can’t be opened”
  • Open inspection, the executable in Contents/MacOS is lacking executable permission
  • chmod +x, try to open, ‘“App Name” is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash’
• Unzip the archive with a different GUI app (Keka)
  • Application hits Gatekeeper (expected behavior), Gatekeeper complains
• Unzip the archive with unzip
  • Application launches (???)

With a notarized build on 10.15

• Unzip the archive by double-clicking (Achive Utility)
  • “The application can’t be opened”
  • Same behavior as above
• Unzip the archive with a different GUI app (Keka)
  • Application hits Gatekeeper
  • ‘“App Name” is an app created by Keka. Are you sure you want to open it? Keka created this file on an unknown date.’
  • Click “Open”, application launches
• Unzip the archive with unzip
  • ‘“App Name” is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?’
  • This feels “correct” to me

So I guess that leaves us with the following list of options?

• Bug in the 10.15 Beta version of Archive Utility
• Problem with the ZIP output of electron-builder that causes certain unzippers to do weird things with permissions
• Something else entirely

The good news is that this doesn’t appear to affect auto-update on mac for me, so I think I can proceed by simply distributing the DMG and I guess just crossing my fingers?

[stale[bot]]

Is this still relevant? If so, what is blocking it? Is there anything you can do to help move it forward?

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs.