"damaged or incomplete" app

I am deploying my app for distribution via the web (outside the Apple store).


My deployed .app file appears with a white circle/slash over the icon and when I double click on it I get...


"You can’t open the application “ChessApp78” because it may be damaged or incomplete."


I haven't code signed it yet.


Here's my best guess: My app runs and asks the user for a product key. It then stores the product key inside the app bundle. Is that okay?


My app also reads/writes a SQLite database kept inside the app bundle. Will that cause this issue?

Accepted Reply

The app is written in Delphi. Apparently a change made in Delphi generated a .app file with a name that no longer matched the entry in info.plist. It ran anyway but then wouldn't run again when double clicked (instead displaying the error message in the original post).

Replies

I haven't code signed it yet.

You definitely need to code sign your app. If you plan to deploy outside of the Mac App Store, you should eventually sign it with a Developer ID. If you haven’t set that up yet, you still need to sign the app regardless, even if you only use a self-signed certificate.

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The app is written in Delphi. Apparently a change made in Delphi generated a .app file with a name that no longer matched the entry in info.plist. It ran anyway but then wouldn't run again when double clicked (instead displaying the error message in the original post).