使用自定义资源和脚本创建平面.pkg文件的脚本化方法

Question

I have created a flat .pkg file with following options on 10.7 using PackageMaker 3.0.6:

/Applications/PackageMaker.app/Contents/MacOS/Package --root ./myroot \
 --id com.myroot.pkg --title "My Root" --scripts ./scripts --target 10.5 \
 --verbose --resources ./resources --root-volume-only --domain system \
 --no-relocate --versio 1.0 --certificate "My Cert Name"

In the resources folder I have background.png , Welcome.rtf and License.rtf and in the scripts folder I have preflight , postflight and various support files for those scripts. The resulting .pkg appears to be fully functional except that the installer does not display my background, welcome or license.

How can I add a custom background, welcome and license to a flat package?

As far as I can tell, the Distribution file in the .pkg is missing references to the background, welcome and license files.

As a workaround I tried using xar . If I unpack the package with xar like so:

xar -xf ./myroot.pkg -C work

and add the 3 tags for those files, then pack it again with xar:

cd work && xar -cf ../myroot2.pkg *

I get a package that starts installation ok with my background etc., but when it comes time to install my .app I get these errors (from /var/log/install.log ):

 run preupgrade script for myroot
Could not create task for action: run preupgrade script for myroot2
Install failed: The Installer could not extract files from the package for myroot2. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.
IFDInstallController 863170 state = 7

I have also tried Flat Package Editor: open myroot.pkg, drag out Distribution, edit it, drag it back, delete old Distribution, save. Same problem as with xar.

I would prefer to have a fully scriptable solution as opposed to using GUIs.

Edit: I have also tried to use pkgutil to expand, edit Distribution, and reflatten a flat package. This gets the icons and readme in the installer, but the installer is then unable to unpack the payload. Same if I reflatten with Flat Package Editor . I have also tried to create an expanded package without PackageMaker (which works, except on 10.8), but when I try to flatten that with pkgutil the result is a corrupted package again.

Answer 1

PackageMaker always was buggy has hell, and got deprecated with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard.

You should use pkgbuild together with productbuild .

Answer 2

This Mac Installers Blog has some useful posts about Packagemaker including details about the usage and solutions to common problems. Hope it will help.

Answer 3

Check out the Luggage - it's a Makefile helper file that lets you create OS X packages with sane Makefiles. Disclaimer: I am the original author for it, though there are a lot of other people's contributions in it now.