Mastodawn

https://lucas.love/blog/vision-macos-app-distribution

Lucas ✦Nov 27

I wrote a more detailed blog post about my vision for a modern alternative to distributing apps outside the Mac App Store.

Feedback & advice welcome.

My Vision for macOS App Distribution

Introducing my vision for a modern alternative to distributing apps outside the Mac App Store and asking the developer community for advice & feedback.

Zhenyi Tan Dec 6

Lucas ✦

Early WIP screenshots of #Amore. I demoed this today and successfully published the first Amore update using Amore.

You drag and drop your macOS app binary into Amore. Amore will take care of bundling, signing, and uploading. You just type in your release notes (optional) and select which options you want to publish your update. Amore will take care of the rest.

No app review, no nonsense.

Lucas ✦Dec 4

If this is something you would like to use, send me a DM.

I need to polish this a bit, but I am optimistic that I can onboard the first developers next week.

Lucas ✦Dec 4

Would you like to see a video demo of this?

@lucaslove Yes!

Recorded a quick demo about how #Amore currently works.

Lucas ✦Dec 7

Started to work on a website for #Amore.

Lucas ✦Dec 8

It's still WIP, but thought I'd share this here.

Lucas ✦Dec 12

#Amore is for developers who care.

Lucas ✦Dec 12

How can I make distributing Mac apps outside the App Store even easier?

This took me 15 to 30 minutes when I had to do it manually. With #Amore it takes ~15 seconds.

Lucas ✦Dec 15

I learned about Xcode archive post-actions this weekend.

Now all you need to do to automatically release your app update after archiving is add `amore release` to your archive post-actions.

This will export, codesign, create DMG, notarize, Sparkle sign, create appcast, and upload the app for you.

#Amore takes care of everything.

Lucas ✦Dec 16

Was able to onboard a couple of new developers to #Amore over the last two days. Two of them started using it immediately for their fantastic apps. <3

Lucas ✦Dec 16

Can't wait to start a 'Built with #Amore' section on the website.

https://amore.computer/help/

Lucas ✦Dec 18

Finally had the time to create help pages that explain #Amore in more detail.

If you have any more questions or want to give this a try, please let me know.

Help

Self-Publish Your Mac Apps. Build with Amore. No App Review, No Nonsense.

Lucas ✦Dec 23

It's still early, but #Amore is slowly coming together.

I am currently looking for additional macOS developers who would like to test this. If you are interested send me a DM.

If you are submitting your macOS apps outside of the App Store, this is for you.

More info on https://amore.computer.

https://listmonk.lucas.love/subscription/form

Lucas ✦Dec 23

I think I haven't mentioned this before, but I set up a mailing list for #Amore in case you want to follow the development.

Will send out the first update soon.

Subscribe - Amore Mailing List

Lucas ✦Dec 23

I wonder if it could make sense to set up a Mastodon account for #Amore.

Any instance recommendations?

@lucaslove https://indieapps.space/

marceloexc Dec 23

Indie Apps

indieapps.space is dedicated to hosting accounts for mobile and desktop applications developed by small, independent developers and development teams (no personal accounts, please).

Mastodon hosted on indieapps.space

https://amore.computer/help/xcode-post-archive-action/

Lucas ✦Dec 18

Here is how to setup Amore to automatically release a new build as Xcode archive post-action.

Xcode Post Archive Action

How to setup Xcode's post archive action with Amore.

Stewart Lynch 🇨🇦Dec 15

@lucaslove Can’t wait for this. Looks so useful

Julien Di Marco Dec 16

@lucaslove You can even configure that urself w/ scripts like https://github.com/tuist/XcodeProj

GitHub - tuist/XcodeProj: 📝 Read, update and write your Xcode projects

📝 Read, update and write your Xcode projects. Contribute to tuist/XcodeProj development by creating an account on GitHub.

GitHub

Lucas ✦Dec 16

@lifely this looks very interesting. Thank you! Will make the initial setup even smoother.

@lucaslove awesome 😍

Thanks, @daniel <3

@lucaslove This is amazing! I'm totally going to use this when I ever build a Mac app worth distributing.

Lucas ✦Dec 11

@dasdom or the fun ones! I recently just realized that this lowers the barrier of distributing fun little Mac projects for me and everyone.

obrhoff Dec 11

@lucaslove @dasdom Also looking forward to give it a try, but I guess I need to prepare my stuff first for a release outside of the AppStore.

Lucas ✦Dec 11

@obrhoff that would be really cool! Let me know when it’s time.

@lucaslove Can't wait for this to be a thing, to be honest. Do you plan on adding some documentation on how to transition from a Sparkle-based setup to Amore’s ?

@dinesharjani Are you interested in testing the early access? Can invite you next week.

Yes, there will be documentation. In most cases you only need to change the SUFeedURL in your Info.plist.

Amore handles the rest of the migration automatically.

@lucaslove So, I use Sparkle to distribute a Mac version of my daily iOS / iPadOS work. Meaning there are higher priorities, and if you were to add me, I cannot promise that I can give it full attention. I'd love to, but if I get a higher priority thing to do I won't be able to before Christmas break. That being said yes, I can have a look.

@dinesharjani no worries. Are you using Catalyst?

@lucaslove Yes. And Sparkle I think version 2, but 3 constant warnings due to using the older version, but it works and I can post updates.

@lucaslove By the way, I'm using the GitHub-based setup. So the appcast.xml file and all previous releases, as well as the latest, are stored on GitHub.

@dinesharjani do you need your previous releases?

@lucaslove No. I can delete them.

@dinesharjani Your setup sounds like it would be compatible with Amore out of the box. You will have to release one more update with an updated SUFeedURL in your Info.plist and from then on you can release all your new updates via Amore.

@lucaslove Yup. Makes sense. Sounds good on my side.