Is it possible to build a .dmg file (for distributing apps) from a non-Mac platform? And if yes, how?
+5
A:
If you're distributing Mac apps, then surely you have a Mac to write and test them. Why not simply use that same Mac to create the disk image?
[Edit] Alternatively, if you're distributing a portable app, for example a Java .jar file, why bother with a disk image? Macs understand .zip and .tar.gz archives just fine.
I guess what I'm getting at is, I don't understand how one might need a DMG disk image, but not have a Mac with which to create it.
Sherm Pendley
2008-11-13 07:27:18
He hasn't said he doesn't have a Mac. I could imagine a build environment where all other platforms are prepared on one system (with cross-compilers, say) and he wants to build the Mac distro there, too.
Rob Kennedy
2008-11-13 07:40:24
The tools to build for a platform are typically specific to that platform. I would no more expect to build Windows installers on a Mac than I'd expect to build Mac disk images on Windows.
Chris Hanson
2008-11-13 08:39:00
Actually, several people build Windows installers on Linux, and I believe the same tools also work on a Mac. Such is the magic of cross-compiling: a single machine can build for all the targets.
CesarB
2008-11-13 10:58:31
+3
A:
It does seem possible to create DMG files with some third party tools. A quick google search reveals at least a few commercial tools:
Not sure about any OSS/freeware options, but it does at least seem possible if you are so inclined.
Edit: I also forgot about MacDrive, which is another great tool for working with HFS+ filesystems under windows. Since a DMG is basically just a HFS+ filesystem snapshot, it is probably possible with MacDrive to create DMG's as well.
Nik Reiman
2008-11-13 10:15:22
You should also be able to do it using command line tools under Linux, similarly to how one would create a DMG from the command line on Mac OS X.
sascha
2008-11-14 01:23:53
+3
A:
Yep, mkfs.hfsplus does it.
dd if=/dev/zero of=/tmp/foo.dmg bs=1M count=64
mkfs.hfsplus -v ThisIsFoo /tmp/foo.dmg
This creates a dmg file (in this case 64M) that can be mounted on a mac. It can also be mounted on linux, with something like
mount -o loop /tmp/foo.dmg /mnt/foo
after wich you just copy the content you want to it (in /mnt/foo). Unmount it, and the dmg can be copied over to a mac and mounted there.
jstck
2010-09-23 08:14:24