Code Signing in Mac OSX – Sign Your File in Minutes

You will find it utterly contrasting if you compare Apple’s environment with other operating system ecosystems. The same is the case with its Code Signing procedure.

Software publishers must follow a different command set to utilize a Code Signing Certificate on Mac OSX. Moreover, they must use an in-build Terminal instead of a Command Prompt. To understand the code signing process on Mac OSX, let’s start with signing files.

The Necessity of Code Signing for iOS-based applications

Code Signing helps iOS app developers and publishers:

• To tamper-proof the code and tighten the software security
• To align with Apple’s policies to list applications on the online store
• To tell the user that software is coming from a legitimate entity
• To organically build a reputation across Apple’s digital environment
• To ensure a zero warning and seamless experience to end-users

Process To Use Code Signing Certificate in Mac OSX

Note: Due to the New CA/B Guideline, the Code Signing Certificate is now not exported; private keys must be marked as non-exportable!

To initiate the process of code signing an executable in macOS, you must download the .pfx from the local hard drive. To import the certificate, you can use the following procedure:

Step 1: Go to Keychain Access and select the File option from the menu.

Step 2: Click on import items to choose the required .pfx file.

Step 3: Select the location on the system for the certificate file and fill out the details as prompted.

Step 4: Your Code Signing Certificate file in .pfx format will get imported to your local hard disk.

Once you have the digital certificate, the next step is to open the terminal and execute commands according to your requirements.

To sign an executable file

You can sign your executable file on macOS by executing the below command. You must replace the identity à common name and code-path à path of the executable file.

codesign -s <identity> <code-path>

While using the command, you will not receive any feedback.

To Sign an executable and get feedback

To get the feedback, you must pass the -v parameter before defining the path to the file.

codesign -s <identity> -v <code-path>

To Sign a Nested Code or Framework

You can sign a particular framework version by executing the following command. To run it, you must define the version number and the framework’s name.

codesign -s <identity> --bundle-version=VersonB MyCustomFramework.framework

To Sign Disk Image

The command to sign a disk image is similar to signing an executable file. The path to the executable file gets replaced with the path to the disk image file.

codesign -s <identity> <disk-image>

Code Signing Verification on MacOS

Verifying the sign is a necessary and crucial process. It aids in confirming that the file, disk image, or framework gets successfully signed.

To confirm the signature on Mac OSX, open the terminal and execute the below command. You will not receive any response if every aspect is up to the mark.

codesign -v <code-path>

Conclusion of How Do I Sign Files on Mac OSX

You must use the Terminal utility to utilize the Code Signing Certificate on a Mac OSX device. It aids iOS developers and publishers in integrating their sign with executable files, disk images, and frameworks. However, you must import the certificate in PFX format to the local hard disk before executing any command.

Furthermore, it also provides sign-verification functionality. By running the verification command, you can confirm whether your file has a valid sign.

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