How to open unnotarized binary via the Terminal

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How to open unnotarized binary via the Terminal

I tested a static binary ffmpeg version in Sonoma. I just dropped it into a folder without adding it to the path and tried to open it via ./ffmpeg and was greeted by XProtect message below.

I could continue by going to Finder and via ctrl-Open bypass that check so that ffmpeg version could then be launched via the Terminal.

-> Is that possible only via the Terminal?

Safely open apps on your Mac - Apple Support

Usually I use MacPorts to install ffmpeg etc and this is a not a problem there.

p.s. To my surprise I noticed that MacPorts has still ffmpeg v4.4.4 while the newest is v6.1.1. This is because "v5.x breaks a number of dependent ports".

So I installed ffmpeg6 (with v4 still active) and also 8-10-12 bit H.265 support (although with my footage 8 vs 10 bit output is essentially the same, i.e. with yuv420p vs yuv420p10le):

sudo port install ffmpeg6

sudo port install x265 +highdepth

Posted on Mar 25, 2024 1:04 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

etresoft

Level 9

56,320 points

Mar 25, 2024 4:50 AM in response to Matti Haveri

You can remove the quarantine attributes with:

sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/MyApp.app

But, in theory, all binaries must also be signed on Apple Silicon. I say "in theory" because even an ad-hoc signature will work. So this presents no barrier to malware, only to people trying to build something themselves from the command line.

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Answer 2

Urquhart1244

Level 10

146,226 points

Mar 25, 2024 10:14 AM in response to Matti Haveri

I usually get my pre-compiled binaries from:

Download FFmpeg (OSXexperts version - both Intel and Apple Silicon)
Download FFmpeg (Martin Riedl’s version - both Intel and Apple Silicon)
Download FFmpeg (Tessus version - Intel only)

No issue with unnotarized there.

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Answer 3

Mar 25, 2024 8:26 AM in response to Matti Haveri

An overview of code signing and the codesign command is included here:

Creating distribution-signed code for macOS | Apple Developer Documentation

Homebrew has ffmpeg 6.1.1, not that mixing or switching package managers always works out.

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Answer 4

VikingOSX

Level 10

123,230 points

Mar 25, 2024 9:29 AM in response to MrHoffman

And, ffmpeg has a monstrously large dependency tree as shown by homebrew. No installation is performed with this syntax.

brew deps --tree --installed ffmpeg | more

At any time in the future, this dependency tree may grow as the developer adds additional dependencies to the ffmpeg build process.

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Answer 5

Mar 25, 2024 9:59 AM in response to VikingOSX

VikingOSX wrote:

And, ffmpeg has a monstrously large dependency tree as shown by homebrew...

Yeah. I noticed that, just from the homebrew webpage for ffmpeg.

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How to open unnotarized binary via the Terminal

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