- calls `scripts/codesign-mac-app.sh` to sign the main binary, bundled CLI, and app bundle so macOS treats each rebuild as the same signed bundle and keeps TCC permissions (notifications, accessibility, screen recording, mic, speech). For stable permissions, use a real signing identity; ad-hoc is opt-in and fragile (see `docs/mac/permissions.md`).
- uses `CODESIGN_TIMESTAMP=auto` by default; it enables trusted timestamps for Developer ID signatures. Set `CODESIGN_TIMESTAMP=off` to skip timestamping (offline debug builds).
- inject build metadata into Info.plist: `ClawdbotBuildTimestamp` (UTC) and `ClawdbotGitCommit` (short hash) so the About pane can show build, git, and debug/release channel.
- reads `SIGN_IDENTITY` from the environment. Add `export SIGN_IDENTITY="Apple Development: Your Name (TEAMID)"` (or your Developer ID Application cert) to your shell rc to always sign with your cert. Ad-hoc signing requires explicit opt-in via `ALLOW_ADHOC_SIGNING=1` or `SIGN_IDENTITY="-"` (not recommended for permission testing).
When signing with `SIGN_IDENTITY="-"` (ad-hoc), the script automatically disables the **Hardened Runtime** (`--options runtime`). This is necessary to prevent crashes when the app attempts to load embedded frameworks (like Sparkle) that do not share the same Team ID. Ad-hoc signatures also break TCC permission persistence; see `docs/mac/permissions.md` for recovery steps.
The About tab reads these keys to show version, build date, git commit, and whether it’s a debug build (via `#if DEBUG`). Run the packager to refresh these values after code changes.
TCC permissions are tied to the bundle identifier *and* code signature. Unsigned debug builds with changing UUIDs were causing macOS to forget grants after each rebuild. Signing the binaries (ad‑hoc by default) and keeping a fixed bundle id/path (`dist/Clawdbot.app`) preserves the grants between builds, matching the VibeTunnel approach.
