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· 14 min read

Once you've built your CLI tool and you're happy with the functionality, you want to share it with others. This is called distribution. You'll need the Apple Developer Program membership ($99) to perform "Software distribution outside the Mac App Store" as per Apple. This post goes over making a CLI tool in Xcode, including Building, Signing and Notarizing, on macOS Big Sur.

When users download your app from outside the App Store, macOS (GateKeeper) adds an attribute to the file (the Quarantine flag). When users try to launch the downloaded application (or cli tool), GateKeeper checks that the files meet certain requirements, and either allows the user to launch the app, or restrict the launch and shows the following UI instead: