Can't launch scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey

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CheekySparrow
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Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:37 pm

Can't launch scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey

Post by CheekySparrow »

When I try to launch Scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey (M1 Macbook Air), I get the following message:
App Can't Be Opened Because Apple Cannot Check It for Malicious Software.

While I am sure I can certainly research and bypass this by setting some permissions, is this the normal behaviour?
I apologise if it is something widely discussed before, a brief search didn't turn up any results for me.
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Praetorian
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Re: Can't launch scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey

Post by Praetorian »

CheekySparrow wrote: Thu Dec 09, 2021 7:18 pm When I try to launch Scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey (M1 Macbook Air), I get the following message:
App Can't Be Opened Because Apple Cannot Check It for Malicious Software.

While I am sure I can certainly research and bypass this by setting some permissions, is this the normal behaviour?
I apologise if it is something widely discussed before, a brief search didn't turn up any results for me.
As I understand this, it's an OS security feature for third part apps that have not been verified as secure, much as Windows tends to do sometimes for new executables, or Android does with external third party apps. It seems that it's quite strict on Mac OS, but the user can disable the warning/bypass the block in a simple way, as long as they are certain that the application they're installing is safe -- which should be the case for ScummVM if you downloaded it from the ScummVM official website.

Someone had asked this a few days ago at the GOG forum for Blade Runner, and at that time I looked into the issue (from online search results) and provided an answer:
https://www.gog.com/forum/blade_runner/ ... s_monterey

I'm copying here the information links that I've read:
https://support.apple.com/en-is/guide/m ... b3a043/mac
https://macresearch.org/macos-cannot-ve ... m-malware/

Our Mac OS porters and/or developers working with a modern Mac OS platform will probably be able to provide more details on this.
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criezy
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Re: Can't launch scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey

Post by criezy »

This is indeed the expected behaviour.
To avoid this warning we would need to pay for an Apple Developer account so that we can sign and notarize the application. We have discussed this in the past, and it may happen, but currently we don't have such an account.

As explained on the Apple Support page linked above, an easy way to bypass it is to do a right mouse button click (or control click) on the ScummVM app icon and select Open in the contextual menu.
CheekySparrow
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Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:37 pm

Re: Can't launch scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey

Post by CheekySparrow »

Thank you guys, you're the best. 'xcuse me, I hear good ol' ScummVm calling my name :).
ImaMightyPirate
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Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2022 2:40 pm

Re: Can't launch scummvm on Mac OS X Monterey

Post by ImaMightyPirate »

Hi there

First let me praise you for what you guys do, saving the most important games of history for us adventure maniacs by letting us run them easily on modern plattforms - thanks! :D

Of course I got ScummVM running on Monterey and Ventura with that little trick you mentioned, works perfectly.

However It's a bit of a pity regarding your great efforts that surely some people miss out on it after the error message pops up.

Do you currently plan to release and sign it officially through an Apple developer account?

Because I just wondered: If not yet, what would it take - like what amount of donation for example - that you would be able to do it?
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