Prepare friend-installable macOS release path

[cbusillo]

Objective

Prepare Context Panel for sharing with friends as a trustworthy macOS app.

Finish Line

The repo can produce a friend-installable macOS build with clear setup instructions, sensible app metadata, and documented signing/notarization or local distribution constraints.

Current Status

State: Added scripts/package-macos-app.sh, which builds a SwiftPM executable, wraps it in a macOS .app bundle, writes app metadata, signs it through Keychain (Developer ID Application preferred, Apple Development fallback, ad-hoc final fallback), verifies the signature, and runs local Gatekeeper assessment. Local validation produced dist/Context Panel.app, signed with Developer ID Application: Shiny Computers Leasing LLC (MM5YXC7T6E), and spctl --assess --type execute accepted it. Launching the bundled app fixed the raw SwiftPM focus behavior: macOS reported ContextPanelPreview as the frontmost app.
Next action: Move from interim SwiftPM app bundle packaging to formal Xcode app + WidgetKit extension packaging and decide notarization path.
Blocked by: Formal app/widget target packaging and notarization/release policy.
Last verified: 2026-05-06.

Scope

• App naming and bundle identifiers.
• Signing and notarization path.
• Release workflow or documented manual release process.
• Friend-facing setup instructions.
• Privacy/security notes for local credentials and provider data.

Acceptance Criteria

• Build artifacts can be produced repeatably.
• Distribution constraints are documented honestly.
• README includes friend-facing setup path.
• CI or release workflow validates the build before distribution.

Relationships

• Sub-issue of Build Context Panel v1 native app and widget #2.

Validation

• Release build smoke test on macOS.

Decisions

Open Questions

• Will this be distributed outside the Mac App Store, through TestFlight, or both later?

[cbusillo]

Native app/widget packaging update on feature/openai-limit-probe:

• Added XcodeGen source-of-truth project spec for a native ContextPanel macOS app target, ContextPanelWidgetExtension WidgetKit extension target, and shared static ContextPanelCore target.
• Added app/widget entitlements for group.com.shinycomputers.contextpanel.
• Embedded ContextPanelWidgetExtension.appex under Context Panel.app/Contents/PlugIns through the Xcode build.
• Moved app/widget snapshot reads and writes to the shared App Group container when available.
• Documented the native Xcode build path alongside the older SwiftPM wrapper path.

Validation:

• scripts/commit-gate.sh passed with 62 tests.
• xcodegen generate --spec project.yml succeeded.
• xcodebuild -project ContextPanel.xcodeproj -scheme ContextPanel -configuration Debug -destination 'platform=macOS' -allowProvisioningUpdates build succeeded.
• codesign --verify --deep --strict passed for the built Context Panel.app.
• The built extension Info.plist includes NSExtensionPointIdentifier = com.apple.widgetkit-extension.

Remaining for release polish: archive/export/notarization flow and real widget-gallery screenshot QA.