Thank you for posting the information. However, I’m curious about your comments regarding the MAS. My understanding is that an app like Total Spaces would not be accepted there because it is affecting system components and the fundamental use of the application would prevent it from being distributed there. Even if it were, what development options would be available for restoring its functionality that it would not have otherwise?
Again, your post and information is appreciated.
The more consumers and developers who contact Apple regarding this matter, the better the odds that this may change before GM/consumer release.
How? How do we contact apple through a non-blackhole mechanism?
I’m a user - not a developer. Probably classified as a power user.
SIP won’t let me fix parts of the OS that I need fixed. ie, bash. Sure, I know why you wont distribute bash4. but I require /bin/bash to be bash4.
If I, as the owner and operator of my computer, don’t have access to read and write /, macos will no longer be usable for me. One of the major reasons I’ve seen such great growth in OSX adoption (vs bsd/linux on the desktop) is the unix-like (bsd, even better) userland with a functional gui and strong application developer ecosystem. If you break that, you’ll lose those of us who use it daily and require our tools and system to be able to be modified to suite our needs.
As for the MAS (mac app store?) - I’m against any push to drive developers there. I try very hard to avoid purchases through the app store, not because it’s evil but because apple pushes so hard to make everyone use it, with the clear goal of shutting out the true independents (and open source). That, and apple neuters what app store software can do, AND takes a cut of the developers payment.
Don’t kill your customers and dont kill your developers and innovators, apple.
Rant off. For the moment.
…david (osx user since 10.0 betas - though I was running them on unsupported 604e’s…well, 10.1 anyway)
TS2 for beta 7 (15A263e):
http://downloads.binaryage.com/TotalSpaces2-2.3.2.dmg
Yes, as you describe, turning off SIP from the Recovery GUI now results in this “unsupported configuration”. It’s clearly unfinished. (But TS2 2.3.2 does work.)
More generally, TS2 is not app store material; it would never pass sandboxing for one thing. The only way I can see it living on is if injecting signed code is allowed, or we could have a usable way for users allow that for a single specific app.
As I have said before we can’t reasonably ask our users to turn off general security protections, even if they are more fine grained (although that might help a bit).
I suspect, for the case of TF and TS2, the official view is that allowing apps to inject code is a threat to system stability even if the apps are from good and not bad actors, so I don’t hold out too much hope of prevailing.
But I take the point, it may be that the more that contact apple the better the chances of change here.
All good questions. Apple’s end game is to push for app’s they approve via the MAS. If an app gets into system [root] settings, they won’t approve it. Using SIP will deny its use, thus forming an end game. Either the developer abides by set rules via the MAS (OS X Mac App Store) or the app/developer folds.
As Apple takes 15% off Apple Music profits, they are following suit with the Developer Revamp (15% instead of 30%). Instead of paying $99/year for separate iOS and OS X development accounts, $99/year will cover both to encourage more developers to use Apple’s conduit. The potential increase in app sales would outweigh the 15% Apple decrease in revenue and possibly may surpass sales by “locking down” system resources for the sake of improved security. It’s a win/win.
Since the MAS’s release, overall sales haven’t lived up to internal expectations. Many developers have come forward along with research/figures to support the fact the profits aren’t as impressive as many assume. Thus many developers push their apps independently (and via the MAS if approved) in order to bolster sales. Top ten “Paid For…” doesn’t necessarily mean the developer is making decent, or even reasonable, profits. It’s a bit of a misnomer.
Marketing has been developing methods to entice developers to utilize the MAS. SIP and lowering Apple’s percentage being two convenient means, many others are on the table. Additionally, aside from boasting YOY records compared to iOS sales, it would allow Apple more control over what app’s are approved as OS X engineering has sidelined proposed core system features that some developers have already implemented. This is mostly frustrating as unforeseen applications made it difficult to implement similar/exact key components into OS X. As OS X is a tightly integrated system, one key feature that depends on another which is either available third party and/or via MAS (approved without foresight) has resulted in sidelining many projects. Cannot name it for obvious reasons but some will know it, one app in particular that adds an iOS style panel similar to Notification Center resulted in engineering placing this feature on hold. This OS X feature was to be integrated with iOS devices akin to Handoff and Continuity.
There are many reasons for Apple’s desire to better control third party app’s running in OS X. As they have no direct [legal] control regarding non MAS third party applications (including pirated apps), which may result in security comprises to OS X feature integration and lower than expected MAS sales, SIP and possibly locking out third party application installations may be the steps towards these goals. Currently, allowing apps downloaded from the MAS is the default setting in OS X. That may change once Apple formulates an enticing prospect for such developers to utilize their system, thereby lessening possible outrage.
Again, this is all hearsay and I never wrote this and I love your app. 
Anonymous (-ish)
Everything seems to be working with ver. 2.3.2. I’m on 10.11 public beta 5 and recovery update 2. Thank you for this update!
Question: Can you offer this version for sale to the public even if it does not meet Apple requirements?
-Al
If it requires users to turn off general security protections then we probably can’t sell it. But as long as I can make it work I’ll make it available for download.
FYI: I didn’t turn off any security protections. My version of El Capitan no longer has that option in Recovery Mode.
My recommendation is to continue selling TotalSpaces2 from your website and forget about the Apple store.
Thanks,
Al
I guess you now have to use the Terminal in Recovery mode, and use the csrutil command. But it still seems to be in flux, we’ll have to see how it turns out.
I haven’t updated to Beta 8 yet… Does it break TotalSpaces? Beta 7 seems stable enough for now, so I’ll wait for some other brave soul to try it out.
Beta 8 should work ok with the existing release, but I also have an improved one (fewer UI glitches) - I am continuing to test it at the moment, should be able to release it soon.
I’ve installed Beta 8 and all is still working well.
Installed the GM and it’s working great! Animations and swiping (using BetterTouchTool).
Yes, no significant changes underneath, so grid spaces live on! I am going to build v2.3.3 tomorrow or so and upload it here, it has some improvements.
I’m also looking at if we can selectively enable TotalSpaces without having SIP completely turned off.
I actually can’t seem to get the “Move current window” Hotkeys to work or move a window by dragging it and holding it on the edge of the screen. Does this seem to be working for you? Everything else seems to be working perfectly.
Yes, I see that. The move window functionality is not working. I need to investigate that, thanks.
where is my 2.3.3?
Here:
http://downloads.binaryage.com/TotalSpaces2-2.3.3.dmg
Hey @stephen, just tried out 2.3.3 on the GM release, I still don’t seem to have working hotkeys for moving the current window unfortunately.
I’d just like to say a massive thank you to you for your hard work in getting this working on El Capitan! This tool is probably the single most important part of my workflow.
Is there any data I can provide you with to help figure out why moving windows isn’t working?
@SeerUK What kind of config do you have? Multiple monitors? Or just a single screen?
If multi monitor, do you use a single desktop across them, or the screens have separate spaces setting?
