Unlocking Developer ID version of app if Mac App Store version is present on system

1
votes

I'm currently working on sandboxing some of my applications and it looks like I'll have to get rid of a few features just to satisfy the Mac App Store sandboxing (and other) rules.

Obviously users won't be happy about losing features and I fear they won't blame Apple for making stupid rules and we developers will have to bear the brunt of the anger.

In this vein, I'm thinking about building a system that means that if a user buys the Mac App Store version, s/he'll get the "normal" distribution version for free.

Since I have no idea what the email of the people buying my apps on the Mac App Store is and I don't want to have to handle such cases "by hand", I'd like to find a way of doing so automatically.

I've been thinking about just looking on the hard disk, finding an installed version of the program from the Mac App Store and then unlock the "distribution" version as well.

I'm just not certain whether this doesn't break Mac App Store rules..

  1. is looking for the MAS receipt okay in terms of the MAS rules?

  2. can I verify the MAS receipt using the same mechanism as is embedded in the MAS version of my program?

Is anybody else thinking along these lines?

Best regards,

Frank

1
macoscocoamac-app-store

1 Answers

0
votes

I do something like this to enable Mac App Store customers to easily beta test new versions of my app downloaded from my website while still enforcing licensing. Upon startup of the MAS version of my app, I copy its receipt into /Library/Application Support/MyAppName/. Beta versions of the non-MAS version of my app include the same receipt validation code as the MAS version. They look for a receipt in the App Support folder, and validate it, running in licensed-mode if the receipt is valid.

I've been doing this since shortly after the launch of the Mac App Store, as have other developers with no problem. What you describe should be just fine.