Cairo .dylib bundle problem on MacOS
Judah Evangelista
I am a grad student working on my first Python program, and I am looking for some help with a wall I’m running up against. I am new to the world of coding, and I am beginning to realize that getting my program to run on MacOS is not as simple as I had thought. To briefly summarize:
· On Windows, using pyinstaller with the “--onefile” option works great; my script and all its dependencies are compiled into a single executable file that works on any PC.
· On Mac, the resulting executable from “--onefile” is much smaller. It works on my Mac, but when I transfer it to another Mac via flash drive, I get several “missing library” errors upon launch. I’ve tracked the problem to a handful of .dylib files related to the open-source “cairo” graphics library (which is installed on my Mac, and my program needs for its primary function; however, for my intended user base of non-developers, I do not expect others to have this installed).
· If I locate these .dylib files and copy them into my executable’s folder, I can now get my program to run on another Mac, as long as it is launched within this folder. However, if I try to transfer the entire folder via Internet (e.g., GitHub or email) and run the executable after downloading, all of the .dylib files trigger an error: “example.dylib cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”.
· I’ve since learned about “code signing” and some other basics of Apple software distribution, and my understanding is that I can avoid these security flags by a) organizing my executable and dylib files in a proper App Bundle structure, and b) signing all of the files with a valid Apple Developer ID.
Unfortunately, I do not have a developer ID, and obtaining one costs $99/year. I am willing to do this if necessary, but before I pull the trigger I thought I would reach out and ask if there is any simpler workaround. Is it possible to run pyinstaller on Mac in a way that will result in a complete executable, with all dependent dynamic libraries compiled into a single file (similar to how it seems to work on Windows)? Or do I have to fork over the money to Apple and properly sign my code before I can distribute my program to Mac users?
I’m happy to provide other details if they would be helpful.
Thanks for any and all help,
Judah