Distributing a macOS App Yourself (1): Developer ID Certificate and Notarization Setup
What It Means to Distribute Directly with Developer ID There are broadly two ways to get a macOS app into users’ hands. One is through the Mac App Store (MAS), and the other is direct distribution — letting users download a .dmg (or .app) file you build yourself from a website, GitHub, or similar. Direct distribution has clear advantages. You don’t have to wait for App Store review, there are no payment commissions, and you can ship updates whenever and however you like. In exchange, the things the App Store used to handle for you — code signing, notarization, and automatic updates — are now yours to set up. ...