deployqtmacx

Finalize app bundle like macdeployqt with path resolver.

The main difference with macdeployqt is the path resolver used to fix relative paths and to pass your Qt path, framework an plugins path.

This prevent errors when deploy dependencies with wrong @loader_path. The script fix also @rpath on each dependency found, using @rpath instead of @executable_path that is what used by macdeployqt.

Tip

The script has a simulation mode, to try all the actions without write any files

Important

This script does not has key features of macdeployqt distribuited with Qt, for example deploy of qml, translations, binary strip, and signing. You should provide your own routine to strip binaries, sign, etc.

By default it looks for Qt installed via Homebrew or MacPorts.

With complex paths it might be required realpath to resolve relative path, it is shipped with macOS 14 or for older majors installable via Homebrew coreutils package or via macports realpath package.

The script uses macOS built-in tools: dyld_info, otool, install_name_tool, codesign

-environment system environment values are: brew, port

-system system architecture values are: silicon, intel

It requires bash and its use is intendend for macOS only

Usage

bash deployqtmacx.sh AppBundle.app [OPTIONS]

Options
--verbose	Verbose
-s --simulate	Simulate actions without write files
-e --print-excluded	Print excluded files
-f --force	Force overwrite of files
-nq --no-patch-qtcore	Disallow patching QtCore binary
-np --no-deploy-plugins	Disallow plugins deploy
-plugins	Plugins to deploy (platforms,styles)
-environment	Set system environment [brew]
-system	Set system architecture
-qt-version	Set Qt version [6.x.x]
-exclude-lib-paths	Library paths to exclude (/usr/lib,/System/Library)
-lib-path	Set system environment lib path
-qt-path	Set Qt path
-framework-path	Set Qt framework path
-plugins-path	Set Qt plugins path
-h --help	Display this help and exit

Example

An example of the script ran with --verbose and --simulate using your Qt path passed to -qtpath

chmod +x deployqtmacx.sh

./deployqtmacx.sh built/AppBundle.app --verbose --simulate -qtpath /path/to/qt &> log

Produces this output:

bundle: /path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app
executable: MacOS/AppBinary
dependency: AppBinary
resolved: /path/to/qt/lib/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets  from: @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets
copy: QtWidgets.framework  to: Frameworks/QtWidgets.framework
  copy directory from "/path/to/qt/lib/QtWidgets.framework" to "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/Frameworks/QtWidgets.framework"
fix: AppBinary  with: @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets
  change rpath from @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets to @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
fix: QtWidgets  with: @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets
  change dylib id to @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/Frameworks/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets"
  change rpath from @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets to @rpath/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/Frameworks/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets"
unsign: QtWidgets
  remove sign on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppDir/AppBundle.app/Contents/Frameworks/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/A/QtWidgets"
dependency: QtWidgets
resolved: /path/to/qt/lib/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui  from: @rpath/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui
copy: QtGui.framework  to: Frameworks/QtGui.framework
[...]
resolved: /path/to/qt/lib/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore  from: /path/to/qt/lib/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore
no overwrite: QtCore.framework  already at: Frameworks/QtCore.framework
fix: AppBinary  with: @rpath/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore
  change rpath from /path/to/qt/lib/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore to @rpath/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
clean: AppBinary
complete: AppBinary
  remove rpath /opt/homebrew/lib on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
  remove rpath @executable_path/../Frameworks on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
  add rpath @loader_path/ on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
  add rpath @executable_path/../MacOS on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
  add rpath @executable_path/../Frameworks on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary"
plugin: platforms
copy: platforms  to: PlugIns/platforms
  copy directory from "/path/to/qt/share/qt/plugins/platforms" to "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/PlugIns/platforms"
dependency: libqcocoa.dylib
resolved: /path/to/qt/lib/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui  from: @rpath/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui
no overwrite: QtGui.framework  already at: Frameworks/QtGui.framework
fix: libqcocoa.dylib  with: @rpath/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui
  change rpath from @rpath/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui to @rpath/QtGui.framework/Versions/A/QtGui on "/path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/PlugIns/platforms/libqcocoa.dylib"
resolved: /path/to/qt/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore  from: @rpath/QtCore.framework/Versions/A/QtCore
no overwrite: QtCore.framework  already at: Frameworks/QtCore.framework
[...]

Finally, you should provide your own routine to strip binaries, sign, etc., as for example:

strip /path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary
codesign --preserve-metadata=identifier,entitlements --force -s YourAuthority /path/to/user/repo/built/AppBundle.app/Contents/MacOS/AppBinary

 

License

Source code licensed under the terms of the MIT License.

It is also licensed under the terms of the GNU GPLv3.