Run Py2App and PyInstaller with Administrative Privilages on MacOs using AppleScript as a middleman.
MacOS .App Administrator Recipe for use with PyInstaller or Py2App. Supports PyQT based applications.
I simply wasn't able to find this online and have found a solution leveraging AppleScript as a middleman.
AppleScript can create an Application from the IDE. They can also be signed, which I never did myself so I don't have the exact details. Some tips are at the bottom.
With a simple do shell script quoted form of myPath & "Contents/MacOS/start" with administrator privileges and some hacking, I could work my way around.
Create a single binary application for your Python app using:
python3 -m PyInstaller -F --windowed main.py --osx-bundle-identifier \"{com.identifier.appname}\" --add-binary {file}:.
Use --windowed if you use PyQt.
See PyInstaller documentation for more info.
If you need binaries to be included, add each file with --add-binary {fileHere}:. to include it in the same root as main.py.
Test if it runs from a terminal before you continue. You'll have to follow the tracebacks or errors if you have any. Google is the best place.
From the PyInstaller folder, download main.scpt.txt and save as main.scpt.
Open main.scpt with AppleScript.
From this piece "Contents/Resources/Scripts/App" change App to the name of your PyInstaller binary.
We will place the binary later in the Scripts folder.
In the menu click File, then Export; as File Format, select Application.
Press save (signing needs to be done after!)
In Finder, move to your Application, press right-click then Show Package Contents.
Navigate to Contents/Resources/Scripts/. Place your PyInstaller app in this folder next to main.scpt.
Folder contents of main.app should look like this:
└── Contents
├── Info.plist
├── MacOS
│ └── applet
├── PkgInfo
└── Resources
├── Scripts
│ ├── main.scpt
│ └── App <- This is your Python binary
├── applet.icns
├── applet.rsrc
└── description.rtfd
└── TXT.rtf
If you did all the steps correct, taken I was able to explain well enough, you should be able to go up untill you see your Application.
Now double-click and 🤞!
If it works; 🎉
If not; Did you make sure PyInstaller made you a working binary?
Did you change App to what is the name of your binary?
🤷 Try to use logging in python.
Now, if you make any updates to your Python file, update your binary inside the Application by using Show Package Contents.
Change the Info.plist to bump the version number there as this is what MacOs uses to show the version of your app.
Place binary in Scripts folder.
Sign again.
Done.
This one is fun. Make sure you have a setup.py for your application.
If not, visit Py2App Tutorial
Make sure you set binaries to be included in DATA_FILES in setup.py.
In options, you can add plist or iconfile as dictionary items, if they need to be included.
See Py2App Options.
Run python3 setup.py py2app.
This will create an Application in /dist/, which I'll call Your.app from now.
Please test the application first. If anything fails at this step, you should debug this before you continue.
Now we'll have to modify and mix this with the AppleScript.
From the Py2App folder, download main.scpt.txt and save as main.scpt.
Open main.scpt with AppleScript.
Don't change anything.
In the menu click File, then Export; as File Format, select Application.
Press name it something other than the Application you already have and press save (signing needs to be done after!)
Open 2 Finder windows and navigate to both your Py2App Applciation and in the other window the one you just exported.
Navigate the Application's files by clicking Show Package Contents on both of them.
In 'Your.app':
Navigate to Contents/MacOS/. Rename applet to start.
From main.app/Contents/MacOS copy applet into Your.app/Contents/MacOS/.
From main.app/Contents/Resources/ copy the Scripts folder into Your.app/Contents/Resources/.
This will copy the AppleScript linker applet that refers to main.scpt, which refers back to the original applet that is now start, with administrator privileges.
Folder contents of Your.app should look like this:
└── Contents
├── Frameworks
│ ├── Python.framework
│ │ ├── Python -> Versions/Current/Python
│ │ ├── Resources -> Versions/Current/Resources
│ │ └── Versions
│ │ ├── 3.7
│ ├── libcrypto.1.1.dylib
│ ├── libssl.1.1.dylib
│ ├── libtcl8.6.dylib
│ └── libtk8.6.dylib
├── Info.plist
├── MacOS
│ ├── applet <- applet copied from AppleScript
│ ├── python <- from py2app
│ └── start <- original applet from py2app renamed
├── PkgInfo
└── Resources
├── Scripts
│ └── main.scpt <- AppleScript file
├── __boot__.py
├── __error__.sh
├── __pycache__
│ └── site.cpython-37.pyc
├── applet.icns
├── include
│ └── python3.7m
│ └── pyconfig.h
├── lib
│ ├── python3.7
... ommitted ...
If you did all the steps correct, taken I was able to explain well enough, you should be able to go up untill you see your Application.
Now double-click and 🤞!
If it works; 🎉!
If not; 🤷 Try to use logging in python.
Did it work when you created the executable from py2app?
If you want to change the icon, make sure you have it in .icns Apple Icon format.
Go into your Application Package Contents, navigate to Contents/Resources/.
Replace applet.icns with your own.
I don't know anything of signing myself, but from what I know, these tools where used to sign the ones I made;