release-mac-app

name	release-mac-app
description	macOS app release: Sparkle, notarization, GitHub Release, Homebrew, closeout.

Mac App Release

Use for BlackBar, RepoBar, CodexBar, Trimmy, and similar Sparkle-updated macOS apps.

Rules

• Work from the app repo.
• Read .mac-release.env; it is the repo-owned release manifest.
• Use scripts/mac-release from this skill for shared release/appcast/verify work.
• Keep app-specific build/package/sign behavior in repo scripts unless it is already manifest-driven.
• Never print private key material.
• Prefer Keychain Sparkle signing. SPARKLE_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE is an explicit override only.

Commands

/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release status
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release notes [version] [output.md]
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release changelog-html <version> [CHANGELOG.md]
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release make-appcast <zip> [feed-url]
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release verify-appcast [version]
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release check-assets [tag]
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release release
/Users/steipete/Projects/agent-scripts/skills/release-mac-app/scripts/mac-release codesign-run [--with-package-secrets] -- <command> [args...]

Manifest

Each repo owns .mac-release.env. It must contain no secrets.

Required:

• MAC_RELEASE_APP_NAME
• MAC_RELEASE_REPO
• MAC_RELEASE_BUNDLE_ID
• MAC_RELEASE_VERSION_FILE
• MAC_RELEASE_APPCAST
• MAC_RELEASE_FEED_URL
• MAC_RELEASE_DOWNLOAD_URL_PREFIX
• MAC_RELEASE_APP_ZIP
• either MAC_RELEASE_INFO_PLIST or MAC_RELEASE_SUPUBLIC_ED_KEY
• MAC_RELEASE_PACKAGE_CMD

Common optional:

• MAC_RELEASE_PRECHECK
• MAC_RELEASE_SOURCE_FILES (space-separated app helper files to source before expanding artifact names)
• MAC_RELEASE_DSYM_ZIP
• MAC_RELEASE_REQUIRE_DSYM=0 for app-only releases
• MAC_RELEASE_ARTIFACT_PREFIX
• MAC_RELEASE_TAG_SIGNED
• MAC_RELEASE_TAG_FORCE
• MAC_RELEASE_RELEASE_BRANCH
• MAC_RELEASE_SPARKLE_ACCOUNT
• MAC_RELEASE_SPARKLE_CHANNEL
• MAC_RELEASE_GENERATE_APPCAST_ARGS
• MAC_RELEASE_RUN_SPARKLE_UPDATE_TEST
• MAC_RELEASE_SIGNING_KEY_FILE (local fallback path only; Keychain is used when the file is absent)
• MAC_RELEASE_EXTRA_ASSET_PATTERNS
• MAC_RELEASE_EXTRA_ASSET_WAIT_SECONDS
• MAC_RELEASE_EXTRA_ASSET_WAIT_INTERVAL
• MAC_RELEASE_OP_ITEM + MAC_RELEASE_OP_FIELDS for required packaging secrets. The release helper reads the known item once via op inside one persistent tmux session, then exports the requested fields for the package command.
• MAC_RELEASE_OP_ACCOUNT defaults to my.1password.com; MAC_RELEASE_OP_VAULT, MAC_RELEASE_OP_TMUX_SESSION, MAC_RELEASE_OP_WAIT_SECONDS are optional. Without a vault, service-account token env is unset for that single op read so the personal desktop account handles it.
• MAC_RELEASE_CODESIGN_IDENTITY + MAC_RELEASE_CODESIGN_OP_ITEM + MAC_RELEASE_CODESIGN_KEYCHAIN_MANAGED=1 enable non-interactive Developer ID signing. The keychain must be replaceable, dedicated to release automation, separate from the default keychain, not shared with interactive use, and contain exactly one signing private key. The helper owns and may permanently normalize that key's partition ACL to apple-tool:,apple:,codesign:. After precheck, the same tmux credential pass reads keychain_path and keychain_password, takes a per-user release lock, supplies the password through a private file descriptor to a CLI PTY, prepends the keychain without hiding existing keychains, verifies a Developer ID Application canary, scopes package signing through a temporary shim, then restores transient state, relocks, and releases the lock.

1Password rules:

• Prefer already-exported env vars first; no op call if all MAC_RELEASE_OP_FIELDS are present.
• If fields are missing, read configured package and codesign items in one tmux command for the whole release.
• Use service-account mode only with an explicit vault or MAC_RELEASE_OP_USE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT=1.
• Do not retry op reads in a fresh shell; rerun only from the same tmux session after explicit user direction.
• Never allow a release to reach app packaging with an unprepared Developer ID keychain. No SecurityAgent password windows during release; fail the signing canary first.
• For non-app release scripts, use codesign-run instead of copying keychain setup into the repository. Supply the codesign manifest fields through .mac-release.env or explicit MAC_RELEASE_CODESIGN_* environment configuration. It loads only codesign credentials by default; pass --with-package-secrets when the wrapped release script also needs the configured package/notary fields in the same 1Password pass. It runs the bounded signing canary, scopes codesign through the managed-keychain shim, and restores/relocks before returning.
• Disable shell xtrace and verbose mode before loading release secrets. Arm cleanup before keychain/search-list mutations, restore the dedicated keychain's original lock policy and user search list, and relock it after packaging.

Done

• appcast entry has URL, length, Sparkle signature.
• downloaded enclosure verifies with Sparkle.
• extracted app passes codesign, spctl, and stapler validate.
• GitHub release has app zip, dSYM zip when configured, plus app-specific extra assets.
• release notes match the changelog section.
• after verified release, bump changelog to next patch Unreleased in the app repo.