TotalFinder Support In macOS 10.14 Mojave

it is #2 BIG TIME

Here is a bit more technical details:

https://totalfinder.binaryage.com/sip#mark-in-order-to-change-some-features-of-finder-we-use

doh that’s super lame :frowning:

Permanently disabling SIP seems unwise so I guess this is the end of the road

thanks for replying

Agreed. It is not good practice to disable SIP on a permanent basis, and for a developer to suggest this to allow an App to function comprises security. I for one, will not use Total Finder for this reason.

Today I published TotalFinder 1.11.2 for everybody.

It can be downloaded from the homepage or from this page:
https://totalfinder.binaryage.com/changes

Please read our new blog post explaining current macOS 10.14 (Mojave) situation:
https://blog.binaryage.com/sip-and-mojave

I’d be happy if you released a standalone file browser app with just the tabs, visor, and automatic widths in column view.

I just bought TF the second time just for that. This fight is worth fueling with some funds and I urge everybody else to do the same. So many developers would have already dumped their customers and left them behind to deal with this SIP nonsense.

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I have been checked out but it seems that for Mojave support SIP will need to be permanently disabled.

While this could be fine for most people, as somebody who relies on their two Macs to make a living, I’m not prepared to take this risk.

I would happily pay more for a Mojave compatible version that can get around SIP.

I would also happily pay for a standalone Total Finder app.

Other apps like Path Finder exist but I’ve tried them and Total Finder beats them all.

For what it’s worth, I am/was another TF user who is more than happy to pay money for a new version or a new stand-alone version that will work with SIP enabled. I have too much important work information on my Mac and therefore will not be using it with SIP disabled. TF is far superior than any other “similar” app.

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I am another user of TF which I have come to depend on. I would gladly help fund the development of a Mac-approved app. Please consider this.

Thanks for your kind words of support, I appreciate it, but I don’t think this is realistic.

I don’t own/have Finder.app sources. To reimplement something like Finder.app from scratch, I would have to invest a ton of time. It looks like a simple app, but it has a lot of complex/advanced features under the hood. It would be quite some effort to reproduce them.

Second, I strongly believe that “File Manager” app segment is quite saturated. You have strong established players like PathFinder, ForkLift, CommanderOne to choose from. And there are many smaller emerging apps trying to offer a Finder replacement app. Look at fman[1] or Marta[2].

I understand that it is hard to change long-time habits but I would recommend to find an alternative or stick to stock Finder.app and move on. TotalFinder will never be a standalone app :-/

[1] https://fman.io
[2] https://marta.yanex.org

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Tried both suggestions out of interest - neither comes anywhere close to TF in terms of usability, configuration, performance. I will stick with TF despite SIP issue…

I tried a number of the alternative “Finders” but was never really satisfied with them. Generally, they all seemed quirky to me…at least to my way of thinking how a replacement or enhanced Finder should work. When I found TotalFinder and TotalSpace, they worked soooooooo nice that I’ve stuck with them over many, many years. It’s a shame to see them relegated to the dustbin of Mac history. It’s also a shame that you can’t work with Apple to get them to review, approve, and sign your code so that SIP never enters into the equation.

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Some Domain are block in my macbook air,
Can any one help me to find the solution
Regards
https://themacsmack.com

like to second that - I am missing Totafinder already way too much

Hi all :slight_smile:

Like most of you, TotalFinder was super important in my productivity workflow. Knowing that it will stop working with SIP enabled, prevent me from updating to Mojave.
As Visor was the main feature I miss, I’ve tried to replicate the functionality, only using allowed API to be SIP-compliant. It has been a long/difficult/discovering-undocumented-APIs travel, but I’ve kind of succeeding replicate the basic behavior.

I’ve used Apple Script (ScriptingBridge to be exact), to deal with Finder window position. I’ve encapsulate the behavior in a small Objective-C app that allows to set a few settings (including custom shortcut).

Here is a small demo of the result :

I’ve just released it on my GitHub here where you can download the .app. As I’ve stated in the README, there’s a lot of limitations due to SIP restrictions, so it’s not perfect, but in my case it does the job.

Any contribution would be greatly appreciated, as the project is fully open-source :slight_smile:

Maybe it could convince some of you to switch to Mojave :wink: Please mind giving me some feedback if you try it.

Thanks again to TotalFinder team for its work over the years :pray:

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Nice job, Anthonin!

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No one take this personally, just my observations, not directed at anyone specifically.
I found it VERY ironic, even comical, some of the comments posted here. You have people bemoaning that SIP must be disabled, and claiming they can’t / won’t disable SIP because they don’t want the ‘risk’ or their employer doesn’t want the ‘risk’; in short without saying so, they concede the security benefit of why SIP is there in the first place, even if publicly dissing it because of the personal inconvenience it creates.

At the same time, you have folks, including some of the very same people who can’t or refuse to disable SIP, criticizing Apple for having SIP in the first place, or suggesting that Apple allow TF an exception (and by conceit therefore open the door for other developers to want ‘exceptions’), or suggest that Apple permit it to be signed etc, so that TF will run.

I see comments like “Can’t you petition Apple to have TF signed, or why can’t Apple set up a system for ‘legitimate’ programs that modify the operating system to be reviewed and ‘allowed’ through.”

TF as currently written, works because it directly modifies Apple code; this is precisely what malware does and what SIP was created to prevent. This is not a criticism of TF, I love it and use it. Back in the day, it was the easiest and most efficient way for TF to be written based on the intent, a simple dual pane window enhancement to Finder. That’s it, that’s all TF was intended to be, everything else is bells and whistles. At the time modifying Finder was allowed and it worked.

In this case, we as users trust TF and the developer that no harm is done as part of this direct manipulation of Apple code and the operating system. Great. Can the same be said for other developers and other apps? If Apple makes an exception for TF, and sets the precedence that exceptions are given or even possible, how quickly do you think before other developers are going to literally threaten to TEAR down the walls in Cupertino to also be given an ‘exception’. The old saying, What’s good for the goose is good for the gander?

There are literally thousands of apps, many of which, development and functionality would be greatly enhanced and improved 'if only silly Apple would let us “trusted” developers run amok in the guts of macOS and change whatever we want, when we want". Who is going to decide who gets keys to the kingdom? You will literally see THOUSANDS of developers submitting claims to be allowed access to bypass SIP. 'Hey Apple! You’re going to let some little independent developer selling a $15 utility to bypass SIP or be signed to modify the OS? What about me? My software is responsible for thousands of Macs being bought and used. It would be a lot easier on us if our developers could change the guts of macOS. Here’s $10M, I want keys to the kingdom too." Folks, you see where that is headed if it ever came about? We’ve seen this on the Windows side too, developers trying to twist Microsoft’s arm because of market power, to be allowed special access, hidden API’s in Windows to make their software better than the competition.

Back to Apple, who is going to TEST all those apps to make sure they aren’t malicious? Who defines WHAT is malicious? Who is going to protect Apple legally the first time one of those apps that gets an ‘exception’ causes tremendous harm, and a user sues Apple for allowing this crap developer and his program access to do what it wanted? And every time such an app is updated, it will have to be ‘re certified’ so to speak. We have already seen documented instances where thieves have spoofed/stolen/hijacked otherwise legitimate signatures and used to deploy their own malware.

If you have an exception process, then you have completely defeated the purpose of having security systems like SIP and Gatekeeper in the first place. Who is to say this developers app and cause is just and non-threatening, but this developer’s is not?

So essentially, there are users who won’t disable SIP personally and assume the risk personally, but want Apple to compromise a security system intended to protect EVERYONE so that ONE specific app will work and the user is still protected from all other apps.

This reminds me of parents who won’t vaccinate their kids because of the ‘risk’, but RELY on the fact that all the other parents vaccinate THEIR kids to thus minimize the risk to the non vaccinated kids who are open to contracting a disease.

Bottom line, don’t demonize the developers of TF, we should be grateful we have had the use of TF for this long. As Darwin has stated many times, there is no business case to rewrite TF, it is what it is. When the end of the road comes, it comes. Don’t demonize the users unwilling to disable SIP because they won’t accept risk, it’s a choice. Don’t demonize the users who DO disable SIP, just to run TF, it’s a choice. Don’t demonize Apple for having SIP; it is absolutely necessary in this day and age of cyber that systems must be locked down. Stop suggesting that Apple needs to make an exception policy, or allow TF to be signed. Ain’t going to happen for the reasons I listed, and as a Mac user, I DON’T want the system compromised, no matter how much I love TF.

As a techie, I’m comfortable running without SIP, I know where I get my software, I know how to practice safe computing. For the other 99% of every day non techie Mac users, no way would I want any compromises to SIP. My wife is SMART, Master’s degree, professional career, but not a techie and doesn’t want her to be. I like the fact that SIP is enabled on her Mac, and she only buys through the App Store, or if unsure, she asks me first before buying / installing. I can’t watch her 24/7 and don’t want to; she’s a grown up and it’s her Mac. So no, she doesn’t use TF because I don’t want SIP turned off on her Mac. She uses one of the ‘alternatives’ on the market and she’s happy with it.
There you have it. YOu all decide what is best for you and move forward, leave others to their decision and what works for them.

Peace

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I have not updated Mojave yet because I do not want to give up TotalFinder.

Are you going to launch a version of TotalFinder that works smoothly with Mojave?

I appreciate your response

@Frankiesc TotalFinder works by injecting code into Apple’s Finder process. I cannot do that anymore under newer macOS systems (except when SIP is disabled). And it is unlikely it will get easier in the future. Quite the opposite, likely Apple will disable this option in the future while continuing hardening macOS.

Please read our blog post with more details on Mojave: https://blog.binaryage.com/sip-and-mojave

Awesome, thank you AnthoPakPak!