Issue with MakeMKV 1.16.5 on M1 Macs running macOS Monterey (needs code signing)

[ChrisJ60]

I have been using MakeMKV on macOS for several years (I have a paid licence). Until recently this was always on an Intel Mac but now I also have an M1 based Mac. There is a disturbing issue on the M1 based Mac under macOS Monterey when using MakeMKV 1.16.5.

When I start MakeMKV it provokes a macOS prompt saying that MakeMKV wants to access files on a network volume; I click OK which should add a privilege for this under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Files and Folders. When I try to rip a disc and I want to navigate to a specific output folder then I get a huge number of macOS prompts asking to be allowed to access e.g. a Removable volume (in this case) or Documents or Desktop or... I click OK each time. Eventually the prompts stop, I select the target location and the rip proceeds.

Next I quit from MakeMKV and I check under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Files and Folders and, as expected, the necessary privileges have been added there. Seems okay, but...

Now I start MakeMKV again and I see the exact same behaviour. The saved privileges are not being applied to MakeMKV!

This is of course very annoying. So what to do? Well, I wondered to myself so I did the following (I am a registered Apple developer):

1. I code signed the MakeMKV app (including the two dylibs within the package).

2. I notarised the app.

Voila! Now things work as they should and the saved privileges are correctly applied to the app. No more endlessly repeated prompts to allow access etc. I don't know if code signing alone might have achieved this or if the notarisation is also required. I do *not* see this issue on my Intel Mac (but then again those saved privileges were created way back when on that machine so maybe that is the difference).

Anyway, I thought I'd report this. Seems like maybe it is time to start signing and notarizing the macOS version of MakeMKV before something breaks even worse in the future...

[Toby82]

+1 would be great to have a signed MacApp.

[ravedog]

So wow. Posted in November and still no answer. Just got a new M1 MBP and Monterey, and no less than 15 clicks each time. Hell I even gave MakeMKV full disk permissions and still this endless clicking. Didn't see this on Big Sur.

No response from Dev?

[Elephen]

ChrisJ60,

Would you mind explaining the steps that are needed to code sign and notarize the MakeMKV app? Thank you.

[AMusingFool]

Yeah, this is a major pain in the butt. I 'only' have to hit ok 10 times, but I need to do it for each disc, not even just each time I restart the program.

Glad to know that signing/notarizing is enough to get around it; I'd wondered what was causing it.

[AMusingFool]

Yeah, this is a major pain in the butt. I 'only' have to hit ok 10 times, but I need to do it for each disc, not even just each time I restart the program.

Glad to know that signing/notarizing is enough to get around it; I'd wondered what was causing it.

Possibly helpful info found after posting that: if you type in/select from pull-down the destination directory, you should only need to hit 'OK' once (possibly not at all, if your destination isn't a NAS).

[jintz]

I have been using MakeMKV on macOS for several years (I have a paid licence). Until recently this was always on an Intel Mac but now I also have an M1 based Mac. There is a disturbing issue on the M1 based Mac under macOS Monterey when using MakeMKV 1.16.5.

When I start MakeMKV it provokes a macOS prompt saying that MakeMKV wants to access files on a network volume; I click OK which should add a privilege for this under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Files and Folders. When I try to rip a disc and I want to navigate to a specific output folder then I get a huge number of macOS prompts asking to be allowed to access e.g. a Removable volume (in this case) or Documents or Desktop or... I click OK each time. Eventually the prompts stop, I select the target location and the rip proceeds.

Next I quit from MakeMKV and I check under System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Files and Folders and, as expected, the necessary privileges have been added there. Seems okay, but...

Now I start MakeMKV again and I see the exact same behaviour. The saved privileges are not being applied to MakeMKV!

This is of course very annoying. So what to do? Well, I wondered to myself so I did the following (I am a registered Apple developer):

1. I code signed the MakeMKV app (including the two dylibs within the package).

2. I notarised the app.

Voila! Now things work as they should and the saved privileges are correctly applied to the app. No more endlessly repeated prompts to allow access etc. I don't know if code signing alone might have achieved this or if the notarisation is also required. I do *not* see this issue on my Intel Mac (but then again those saved privileges were created way back when on that machine so maybe that is the difference).

Anyway, I thought I'd report this. Seems like maybe it is time to start signing and notarizing the macOS version of MakeMKV before something breaks even worse in the future...

@ChrisJ60 It's still not signed and notarized as of today. Is it possible for you to upload your notarized copy to somewhere for us to download and use?

[DaveFlash]

has this been fixed? as for me as of 1.16.6 on my M1, I have no issues at all. the applied permission for 'removable volumes' sticks from reboot to reboot, and even across MakeMKV updates, as yesterday I ran and updated it to 1.16.7, still no issues for me. Also I don't see anything odd, or that the app wouldn't have been signed, I don't even know to check that it is or isn't signed... (I'm running Monterey latest ofc, but this Mac also previously had BigSur installed and running with MakeMKV, for which I also can't recall any issues with permissions and stuff...)

[hedcase]

Same issue here on an M1 Mac...

[skyzyx]

Notarization is pretty damn easy, whether your project is in Xcode or not. I've asked for this before, and I've never gotten an answer.

[skyzyx]

Would you mind explaining the steps that are needed to code sign and notarize the MakeMKV app? Thank you.

Worst case scenario:

1. Sign up for a $99/year Apple Developer account.
2. Use something like mitchellh/gon to handle the notarization bit.

It's not complicated.

[dalosliandi]

I just held the option key down when launching MakeMKV for the first time and it let me launch it. Haven't had to do that since.

[blandalamdan]

I tried deleting with appcleaner and reinstalling a couple of times with no success. But I poked around for a while and found a hidden folder named .makemkv (I think, I deleted it before i thought to note the full name) which wasn't deleting when I used appcleaner. After deleting that, things seem to work just fine.

[uid000]

1. I code signed the MakeMKV app (including the two dylibs within the package).

2. I notarised the app.

@Chrisj60 I tried notarizing the app myself, and got a bunch of errors, including that the hardened runtime isn't enabled, which I believe is a requirement for notarization. Have you signed & notarized it lately, on recent macOS versions? If so, can you share more detail?

I just signed the MakeMKV.app bundle, zipped it, then submitted the zip for notarization. I haven't ever notarized an app before so I don't know if I screwed up the process

[StrangeBrew]

START OF PROBLEM: The M1 chips are sensitive little bitches. System Settings > Files and Folders [delete all previous versions of MakeMKV from the permissions list]. Keep this folder pane up and open MakeMKV from your lauchpad. MAKE SURE all previous versions of MMKV have been deleted from your applications first. After opening most current version of MMKV, load disc, prepare it for rip, then hit rip. You will get the dialogue tag warning again. BEFORE YOU HIT "ALLOW," go back to previous pane (System Settings) and confirm no other MakeMKV (or any MakeMKV at all) is listed in the "files and folders" permissions. Once confirmed hit "Okay" and let it rip. You should see the correct version of MMKV appear in the "Files and Folder" permissions list the moment you hit okay. Let your media rip, but click on the MakeMKV drop-down menu (File and Folders pane) and checkmark it for removable volumes. END OF PROBLEM.

There's no such thing as a "MakeMKV software fix." It's not the software's fault, it's the greedy assholes over at Apple that force this shit on you. Know your enemy!