[asendra]

They have also merged both iOS and OS X developer programs under the same roof. 99$/y gives you access to both now.

[TillE]

Oh, that's excellent. I was just contemplating whether I really want to pay $99/year just to be able to sign a little Mac app, but if I can get all the iOS stuff too, I'll probably do it.

[vvanders]

Does this mean you now need to pay $99/y to develop OSX apps?

[aaronbrethorst]

Only if you want to distribute apps in the Mac App Store. Same as it was yesterday.

[mmastrac]

Or sign apps for others to download without the App Store (also the same).

[donarb]

No, you only need to pay if you want to distribute apps through the App Store.

[lultimouomo]

Is that right?

As of Mavericks, OS X by default refuses to run applications that are not signed with a 99$/year Apple certificate.

[mrsteveman1]

I'll admit that the right-click workaround is a minor speedbump but it does work.

And Developer ID certificates are valid much longer than a year, I believe mine expires in 2019. They aren't revoked if you stop paying for program membership, and the expiration applies to the signing operation, apps you've signed in the past will continue to work after the certificate expires.

[pvieito]

So technically, changing the time settings, you could continue signing code forever?

[ceejayoz]

You can always right-click and select "Open".

[chc]

I can do that, but it's not reasonable to expect my users to do so. As it is, indie developers have to choose between paying rent to Apple and having most users unable to open their apps.

[mynameisvlad]

I mean, really, you're comparing paying rent with a $100/yr fee (which now allows you to sign apps across their platforms)? Really? I highly doubt most indie developers even have to make that choice. Finding the $100 a year is not the most impossible task in the world, even for a tiny indie developer.

Plus, more than a few apps have added instructions on their download pages to show users how to get around Gatekeeper. They can clearly take the Gatekeeper hit, so you probably can too.

[Jtsummers]

You can still run them you just have to go through system preferences to enable them.

[gbanfalvi]

certificate signing is free. always has been. it's the app store part that costs you.

[s73v3r]

That's complete and utter horse shit.

[mullen]

Personally, that is a total game changer for me. I have an app idea, to build a custom house management app for my wife and I. I really don't care to put it on the app store and I don't want to pay $99 for a two person app. Now I can make an app that only my wife and I will use.

[tdicola]

You can do this today. Just download XCode and go to town. Or use any other programming language supported on OSX like Python, Go, etc. etc.

[druidsbane]

This is the first time you could install apps on your device without paying for a membership. Previously you could design and test through a simulator for free, now he can build and actually use his app without paying extra as he isn't distributing.

[dijit]

You can always distribute, but you can't submit to the mac app store.

I used to run a multitude of OSX (xcode developed) applications for beta testing, and while not signed, they were indeed runable.

[cm2187]

I don't know if it is still the case but last time I checked you had to go through the app store to deploy an iOS app even if it is for personal use.

[donarb]

It never was the case that you had to go through the app store to deploy an app for personal use. The only requirement was to have a paid iOS developer membership.

[gress]

No. Just for access to the Mac App Store, and pre-release tools and OS versions.

[smackfu]

Although the second part of that is pretty important if you are a real software developer, even if you sell outside the app store.

[ascagnel_]

Only if you want to publish in the Mac App Store or use any MAS-specific features (eg iCloud sync).

[xirdstl]

Maybe this explains the recent bug I experienced where, when attempting to renew my iOS developer program for $99, the system added the Mac developer program to my cart for an additional $99 (which I didn't want).