Help: Raising funds #440

sn4k3 · 2022-03-29T21:57:46Z

sn4k3
Mar 29, 2022
Maintainer

The problem:

UVtools v3.0.0 started to deliver native macOS arm64 builds, but they don’t work and will never work out of the box without extra effort: hack and build from client-side is required! Most of the people will not be able to compile and repack UVtools as that require some tools and terminal skills. Even if you do, it can be a painful process that breaks and cost time at every release, at certain point I think no one will be happy to repeat this process at every release, plus that breaks the authenticity of the program and some possible optimizations.

The x64 package still works under arm64 without the problem, but that is running with emulation (Rosetta), still it will not do for long.

Even the native x64 for macOS x64 will break in the near future.

Why does it happen?

Apple is starting to oblige all Apps to be codesigned and notarized, that started with their ARM mac’s but they announced that they plan to do the same on all other machines, meaning when you upgrade your macOS all free apps you downloaded from internet which are not codesigned and notarized will stop working, that includes UVtools!
This is a huge deal-breaker for open-source and free apps/developers that have no intention to sink money on a mac and developer account, one is me, I have no mac nor developer account.
I have done some research and here’s some quotes:

Notarization is required for apps distributed outside the app store starting in macOS 10.15 (Catalina), and you'll have to enable hardened runtime and run codesign on your .app in order to notarize it successfully.
You'll need a Mac computer for this step, unfortunately, as we have to run the codesign command line tool that comes with Xcode.

You'll have to have a Mac for signing, and signing is definitely required for ARM64 (even at the terminal), and newer x64 versions soon, if not now. Apple doesn't make codesign available for any other platforms.

This requirement is nothing but shameful and stupid, they call it “security”, but I see no security at all, I can assure you, even signed and notarized, I can just steal and wipe all your documents without you even know – That is what they call “security”, you pay a fee and then you are a good guy and enables you to run in mac without complain - This is no security at all. I could see a point when publishing to their Store, but not when you deliver free content over internet. So yes, as long you pay for a mac and developer account you can deliver certified malware 🥳 But if there’s a cost involved, will this prevent more people doing malware? No, in fact have the opposite effect, because now they are telling you: You can only run “certified” apps so you are safe and it’s for your own good, which is not the case here - A false felling of safeness is dangerous than an un-safe felling as you relax and trust what they told you and now you don’t even suspect the app intentions. Welcome to century XXI where everything is about money, selfish and the world is sick.

With this kind of decision, you will start to see less open/free apps for your mac and also more abandoned apps/ideas, because not everybody can afford their fees just to make something and deliver to clients. This has the potential to kill many good apps and many good people who want to do their simple app.

Now does it affect UVtools?

Simply mac users can’t run UVtools out-of-the-box, which mean there is no point in release macOS packages making UVtooks “not user compatible” with macOS as that will require build from source or run dependently with .NET and terminal. For lazy or non IT people this isn’t a solution.

The appeal:

By now you should have realized that I need an apple developer account which cost money, about 100€/year. Then latter I will need a mac to be able to deliver native compilations of dependencies. While I can do that on a x64 VM for x64 builds, that won’t work for arm64 builds, in other words I need an arm mac to be independent, which I dislike the idea since I have no other use for mac, I’m totally a PC desktop guy and would not replace by anything else.

UVtools is open-source, free and independent software, and should be kept like that. But I will not pay a cent so you can use the software. I already spent a lot of time doing it and maintaining it, and time is priceless, no money in the world can return the time I use here, so be thankful for having such amazing and advanced software for free. I can assure you that most people would not have the money to afford such software if paid or if written by order would be an extensive value that only big companies can afford. Not to mention the free support you get, issues, features, questions, etc are addressed in no time, you get here a premium VIP service and all for free.
Additionally, UVtools is a fun/hobby project to me, I personally don’t use it since I’m not a fan of resin printing, and when fun ends to start be a pain there’s nothing else to do for I continue with the project.

So, the appeal here is asking for funds in behave of mac users and the project. Some amazing projects and ideas die because lacking of funds due open/free nature, it’s just unsustainable. Unfortunately, today is more profitable bashing your head on a wall or doing a stupid move and post it on TikTok than deliver any real good contents/assets/production to the world, producing is not anymore a priority, useless and luxury is what sells today. And this is why most quit, it’s not just worth it when there are other things more profitable and without the pain and headaches of maintaining a big stuff.

I’m not a mac user, how do I care?

As project spirit and open-source we aren’t a family but a community, we are a whole. Helping others at good will is helping yourself. Plus, it helps the project going forward and adopt new technologies that can be useful for everyone. Someday may be you in same situation so let’s not only look to our needs. Also supporting the project as contributor make yourself part of the project, and people are the legs of this project.

How to help with funds

Access: https://github.com/sponsors/sn4k3
Read
Help with the value that fell good for you (Smaller monthly is better than larger one-time)

Accepting other methods?

I do have preference on Github, since it’s dedicated to this and also offer graphs and statistics. So, I can easy review the donations. Additionally, you can pay with PayPal there. Also, the donators are public listed, unless you want keep anonym you can opt to not show but you will show as a number.

I don’t have much...

Not a problem, every value counts, let’s do very simple math:
Let’s say I reach 1.000 stable supporters (which is less than half of the current UVtools users), each one gives 1$ per month. You may think, 1$ is nothing will not make any difference, but it does!

1.000 x 1$ = 1.000$ monthly! (Excluding taxes)

So, with almost nothing, and let’s admit, 1$/month make no impact on most of us, but make a huge difference for the project because 1$ turned into big value, so that I can almost dedicate to UVtools and quit everything else. Never be shame to help with little, again every action counts!

Obligation free

Monthly donations can be cancelled, there are no obligations nor hidden fees. We do not control nor process your data.
UVtools is still free, this is not an obligation and is up to each one if want to contribute or not.
Same applies to the project, a contributor will not have any kind of extra powers or priority. All requests and handling of community are made equally. Everyone will get the same quality of support.