Discontinuing MacOS Releases

[vkbo]

I intend to stop providing DMG images for MacOS from 2.9 and on. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is maintainability as I have no way of testing that the images work (the 2.8 pre-release images were broken, and I only noticed by chance). The second reason is that the releases are not signed, so installing them is getting increasingly difficult due to Apple's extremely poor support or open source projects. Finally, I'm not sure there are that many MacOS users of novelWriter. I don't track usage in any way, so I can't really tell, but I almost never hear from users on Mac.

novelWriter can still be run on MacOS, and I will keep testing it and supporting the platform in the code. So anyone with a Python installation on MacOS will be able to run the PyPi package also on Mac. It's a very technical solution, but the DMG image also requires some technical skill to bypass the blockers, so not sure that makes much of a difference.

You can find the PyPi install instructions here: https://novelwriter.io/download/install_pypi.html

Apple is not likely to get less open source hostile in the future, so I don't really see a solution here. Similar issues on Windows were solved by a sponsor who came in an provided the necessary signing service, but on Windows it's at least possible to spin up a VM to test things. This is another thing Apple actively works to prevent.

For Apple releases to return, I think someone will need to pick up and handle those releases. Brew may be an option here too, but I won't be maintaining it.

Unless someone picks this up and takes over MacOS releases, the 2.8 release cycle will be the last to provide them. I will leave a guide for Mac users on the website, but no longer publish DMGs.

[abdoulbasith-coder]

I am one of the Mac users of novelwriter, I use it frequently. Very good software.

[vkbo]

Thank you. I just wanted to make it clear that novelWriter will continue to work on MacOS. I just won't be providing the DMG images any more. Unfortunately, that means it will need to be installed as a Python package in a pre-existing Python environment.

[mozillamonks]

Perhaps it would make sense to provide it only as a brew cask for macOS? Keeps it free from needing to package but lowers the barrier slightly.

[vkbo]

Yes, I've thought of that. But that's not something I can do, so someone would need to contribute and maintain that release feature.

[mxfur]

Good morning. I use MacOS and it seems that software such as NovelWriter could be right for me. I agree with installing from a *.WHL package, leaving the DMG aside. However, when I try to install (pip3 install *.whl), I get the following error: Error: Externally-Managed-Environment. What should I do? Thank you.

[vkbo]

I think it's complaining that you're not generating a virtual environment to run it in. It's the recommended way to install Python packages these days, and at least on Linux they've started to actively block you from installing Python packages on the system directly. There aren't any really good and user friendly ways to run Python-based desktop software directly because the whole Python tooling setup assumes you're installing packages because you're writing code. It's really annoying. You have to manually set up launchers, or you need to run via command line.

The uv tool has made this a little simpler because you can just run uvx novelwriter without permanently installing anything at all and it will set up a temporary virtual environment and install the software for you on the fly.

You can get uv from here: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/

It's a solid tool. We use it for work. I should probably update the website to recommend it.

[vkbo]

You can also try the pipx command instead. I've never used it, but it seems to do something similar: https://pipx.pypa.io/latest/installation/

Edit: pipx install novelwriter seems to work really well actually. I've updated the website to suggest this as the default option: https://novelwriter.io/download/install_pypi.html

[mozillamonks]

The pipx form works great; love that solution!

[tawseo]

That is indeed a very sad news, I use mac version, and picket it up due to easy sync between linux and mac.

[vkbo]

novelWriter should still work just fine on Mac when installed as a Python application in a Python environment (see here). I just won't supply the DMG files. Admittedly, setting up the Python environment isn't a good solution for non-technical people/non-developers.

What this project needs is someone who can maintain a Mac release. This is not something I'm currently able to do.

[tawseo]

I understand, and will try to do it on Mac from version 2.9.
But I'd also like to point out that your product deserves more credit. I think on Mac this is the best free writing tool for novels and books. In all fairness, it's arguably a top 3 writing tool for Mac overall, paid or free.
It is fantastic on Mac and Linux. I also set it up on Windows but hardly use it, as for some reason the Mac/Linux environment suits me more for writing, so I really didn't try the Windows version enough to give feedback.
The real unique feature is that it's cross-platform, and with a syncing tool or any drive, it syncs across all devices.
It is a real shame that you struggle to publish it on Mac. Ideally it deserves to be in the App Store.

[vkbo]

For Windows I have a sponsor that signs the installer for free. Since I can run Windows in a virtual machine, I can also test that it works as it should. I have neither of those for Mac, so that's essentially the problem. Apple is not even a little open source friendly. Neither is Microsoft to be honest, and they've gotten worse, but at least there I have a solution.

I can in principle keep building the DMGs, and they may or may not work, and you have to jump through all the hoops to allow them to run while unsigned, but that's a horrible user experience, so I just don't want to publish those on the website.

[tawseo]

Have you considered setting up a donation option? Something like GitHub Sponsors, Open Collective, or Ko-fi? Users who rely on novelWriter might be willing to contribute towards costs like Mac signing certificates or development time. Even small recurring donations from a handful of users can cover those expenses.
I think Linux is growing but still has a relatively small user base. MacBooks, on the other hand, are particularly popular with writers — the long battery life makes them ideal for writing away from the desk. An app with effortless Apple ecosystem support could become exponentially more popular.
I hope many people are ready, myself included, to contribute to someone who actually cares about creating a useful tool — rather than chasing unjustified profits.

[vkbo]

I've been running a Ko-Fi page for years. It's listed both here on the repo and on the website. It is barely breaking even with the current costs, but slowly improving. There's no room for expensive signing certificates at this time though. Neither do I own any Apple hardware, nor am I willing to spend that much of my own money on a device just to build this app. I have no use for a Mac myself.

I absolutely see the value in a proper Apple app release, but I am not the person to do it. I'm essentially looking for someone to handle it as a contribution. Someone contributed the current build script, but since I cannot sign the DMGs, nor test them, I'm not comfortable releasing them myself.