homebrew-cutedisc

A Homebrew tap that builds cutedisc — a Qt-based Subsonic/Navidrome desktop client — from source on macOS.

Install

brew tap cutedisc/cutedisc \
    ssh://git@git.billenius.com:2222/cutedisc/homebrew-cutedisc.git
brew install --HEAD cutedisc

You need SSH access to git.billenius.com:2222 since the formula is --HEAD-only: it clones cutedisc/cutedisc at install time and builds tip of master. To pick up upstream changes later:

brew reinstall --HEAD cutedisc

What the install does

1. Builds cutedisc via CMake + Ninja, depending on Homebrew's qt, qtkeychain, and (build-only) librsvg.
2. Drops cutedisc.app into the formula's prefix ($(brew --prefix)/opt/cutedisc/cutedisc.app).
3. Ad-hoc signs the bundle with the stable identifier se.billenius.cutedisc. macOS Keychain keys access decisions to the bundle's signature; a stable identifier means the user is prompted at most once per install, not on every launch.
4. Installs two PATH shims:
   • cutedisc — launches the bundle's binary directly (useful from a terminal, tmux, or anywhere open -a would be awkward).
   • cutedisc-add-to-applications — an osascript that opens a branded dialog (with cutedisc's icon) asking whether to add cutedisc.app to /Applications. On "Add", it delegates to Finder, which is the only process macOS TCC permits to write into /Applications without sudo. The result is a Finder alias at /Applications/cutedisc.app that Spotlight, Launchpad, and the Dock all treat as the real app.
5. Auto-runs cutedisc-add-to-applications at the end of brew install on interactive (Aqua) sessions. The helper is detached via launchctl asuser so the dialog survives brew's exit. Headless installs (CI, SSH, brew bundle from a remote box) skip the popup automatically because launchctl managername reports a non-Aqua session.

To suppress the popup on future installs:

HOMEBREW_NO_AUTO_UPDATE_DIALOG=1 brew install --HEAD cutedisc

Why no Cask?

Casks are designed around prebuilt artefacts — they download a tarball/DMG and copy the bundle into /Applications. Without a macOS CI pipeline producing signed cutedisc releases, the closest thing we have is this: formula builds from source, a helper script puts the result into /Applications via Finder. The user experience is comparable (brew install → branded popup → app in /Applications), at the cost of a ~20-second build on first install.

Updating the formula

When the upstream cutedisc repo changes in a way the formula needs to know about (new build dep, new entry point, bumping the minimum Qt version, etc.), edit Formula/cutedisc.rb and push. Consumers pick up the change the next time they run brew update && brew reinstall --HEAD cutedisc.

If you don't have a local clone of this tap:

git clone ssh://git@git.billenius.com:2222/cutedisc/homebrew-cutedisc.git

Local development on the tap itself

Homebrew refuses to install formulae passed by raw path — they have to live inside a tap directory under $(brew --repository)/Library/Taps/. Scaffold a throwaway tap on your machine, copy this formula in, and install from there:

brew tap-new --no-git love/cutedisc-local
cp Formula/cutedisc.rb \
    "$(brew --repository love/cutedisc-local)/Formula/"
brew audit --strict love/cutedisc-local/cutedisc
brew install --HEAD --build-from-source love/cutedisc-local/cutedisc
brew test love/cutedisc-local/cutedisc      # runs the formula's `test do` block

Iterate:

# edit Formula/cutedisc.rb…
cp Formula/cutedisc.rb \
    "$(brew --repository love/cutedisc-local)/Formula/"
brew reinstall --HEAD --build-from-source love/cutedisc-local/cutedisc

Clean up when done:

brew untap love/cutedisc-local

Uninstall

brew uninstall cutedisc
# The Finder alias in /Applications is not removed automatically; drag
# it to the Trash from Finder if you want it gone.
rm /Applications/cutedisc.app 2>/dev/null

Troubleshooting

The keychain prompt keeps appearing on every launch. The bundle is ad-hoc signed with a stable identifier (se.billenius.cutedisc), so macOS Keychain should remember "Always Allow" between launches. If it doesn't, you have a stale Keychain entry from an earlier ad-hoc identity. Wipe it:

security delete-generic-password -s cutedisc

Next launch will recreate the entry under the current signature.

The "Add to /Applications" popup didn't appear during brew install. The dialog is gated on launchctl managername == "Aqua" — i.e. you have an active GUI session. SSH and headless installs are silent by design. Run it manually:

cutedisc-add-to-applications

I want the app in /Applications without using the popup. Drag $(brew --prefix)/opt/cutedisc/cutedisc.app from Finder into /Applications yourself. Or, since it's a true bundle (not a wrapper), copy it: sudo cp -R $(brew --prefix)/opt/cutedisc/cutedisc.app /Applications/.