Mac SuperContainer installer is "damaged and can't be opened" (resolved)

[David Hollander]

I successfully deployed SuperContainer (SC) via the Web Publishing Engine (WPE) of FileMaker Server 11 for years, on a Mac mini (2010) running OS 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard), with no problems. But I ran into the following problem with Mavericks and SC:

 

I upgraded to more modern versions of OS X and FMS by doing a completely clean installation:

1. Formatted the Mac mini's drive;
2. Did a clean installation of OS X 10.9.1 (Mavericks); and
3. Installed FileMaker Server 12v6 without problems.

Next, I downloaded the latest SuperContainer from 360Works (v2.896). When I double-clicked the "Mac Installer.app" (also known as "SCInstaller") to deploy SC with FMS, as I did before with FMS11, I was surprised to see this alert pop up:

 

"'Mac installer' is damaged and can't be opened. You should move it to the Trash."

Mac Installer is damaged.tiff

 

I tried downloading a fresh copy, using Safari and Firefox; same error. I’d never seen this message before when installing any software, and I found no reports of it in this forum or in TechNet.

 

The icon displayed in the alert window indicated that it was originating from Mac OS Gatekeeper. So the solution I tried was to change the "Security & Privacy" System Preference of Mavericks, under the "General" tab, to "Allow apps downloaded from Anywhere", rather than the more restrictive "Mac App Store and identified developers" option. (Perhaps another option would have been just to control-click the app icon and then select “Open”, to exempt the app from Gatekeeper; I didn't test that.)

 

Apple’s support article on Gatekeeper mentions this “Damaged” app warning message is an indication that “the app has been altered by something other than the developer.”

 

I doubt that any “true damage” is present in the Mac Installer for SC. I think the message appeared because AppleScript scripts get modified after they’re signed. An Apple support article on Mavericks security states:

“Some apps and tools, such as AppleScript applications and some legacy tools, modify themselves after signing. These types of apps cannot be opened unless the Gatekeeper setting in Security & Privacy preferences is set to Anywhere”

 

I had only tried the SC Installer on Mavericks, but I suppose the same error might have occurred on Mountain Lion or Lion, since Gatekeeper was introduced with Lion. It appears, for now, that we may need to temporarily disable Gatekeeper (by choosing the "Anywhere" option) in order for SC's Mac Installer to work.

 

David M. Hollander, MD

Combined Fields Consulting

[Joe Pampalon]

Hi David,

 

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I have added a note about this to our installation documentation here:

 

http://docs.360works.com/index.php/SuperContainer#Option_2:_Installing_SuperContainer_with_FileMaker_Server

 

I have also added this to the "known issues" page on the same wiki.