Forcing `open` command to open unsigned app?

Question

I've got my Security preferences set to allow apps downloaded from "Mac App Store and identified developers." When I try to open an unsigned app:

open xyz.app

I see the following:

Usually, I right-click on the app and click "Open". This brings up a similar dialogue, but this one includes an "open anyway"-type button:

Is there a way to do this only using the open command -- something like:

open --even-if-unsigned xyz.app

grgarside · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-03 19:00:34Z

up vote 22 down vote accepted

Create and add a Gatekeeper label to the app. (‘Approved’ is an arbitrary string.)
```
spctl --add --label "Approved" /path/to/xyz.app
```
Approve all apps with the label.
```
spctl --enable --label "Approved"
```
This only needs to be done once and adding the same named label to apps in the future automatically enables their access.
Open the app as usual.
```
open xyz.app
```

For more information about spctl (SecAssessment system policy security), see the man page.

answered yesterday

grgarside

68.3k14103152

2

Ah, a new addition to the list of things that I formerly only knew how to do GUI-ly, and now can do on the command line! Thanks! – L Spice yesterday

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Ken Thomases · Answer 2 · 2016-06-04 04:55:39Z

up vote 10 down vote

You could strip the quarantine from the app:

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

You may want/need to use sudo for that command, depending on permissions.

Then Gatekeeper isn't involved, at all. Of course, that also means that the signature isn't verified, which removes an important safety feature.

answered yesterday

Ken Thomases

21112

I love this answer, too. It's a pity I can only pick one! – bonh 3 hours ago

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2 Answers 2