Hi,

I have an automatic build process that generates a new build every day and I'd like to automatically create a new "installer" (app bundle inside a dmg) for it.

I've googled but haven't found any docs on how to do this.

I've tried using "hdiutil create MyGame.dmg -srcfolder buildoutput", but I'd like to have a nice background image.

After searching a bit more I found this link: "http://mac101.net/content/how-to/how-to-create-dmg-art-for-fancy-application-installations/" describing how to do it manually.

Is it possible to somehow automate that process?

As I recall, background image metadata (as well as window/icon size) is stored in .DS_Store. You might be able to get it to work by manually creating a DMG with the background image you want once, copying out its .DS_Store, and placing that .DS_Store into each DMG you automatically build afterward.

Or use DMG Canvas.

DMG Canvas also works around the Snow Leopard .DS_Store file format incompatibility with previous OS versions.

I endorse DMG Canvas

Thanks, I will have a look at DMG Canvas.

I continued to search a bit and found this: "http://el-tramo.be/guides/fancy-dmg"

I will look into both options, but it seems like my problem is solved now.


Cheers,
Peter

@peterp FYI: If you build the disk image on Snow Leopard, it will not look right on Leopard/Tiger. It'll have no background image and most of the visual settings will be lost. Snow Leopard's Finder changed which makes it incompatible with Leopard etc.

If you use DMG Canvas 2 it'll work.

Thanks, I didn't know that.. I'll keep that in mind and have a chat with my colleagues.

Cheers,
Peter

Yeah FreakSW spent a few weeks harassed by a Perl library to fix the problem. It might be worth the $15 for DMGCanvas to avoid having to duplicate what FreakSW did with his Perl->Objective-C translation. I mean, look at this transcript of the insanity that ensued while he was working on it:

http://cmiller.fsdev.net/funnies/21