CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javapythondmg
jonalv
jonalv

Reputation: 6116

Can I copy folder into dmg file using some python (or Java) API?

I need to update a .dmg (a.k.a. Apple disk image) file by adding a folder to it (it's an OSGI application and I want to add a few more bundles) but I would prefer a platform independent solution. My main code is written in Python but I am also comfortable with Java. Is it possible to to edit a .dmg file like so?

Note that I don't necessarily need to created a /dmg file cause I have one but if the best way is to unpack and then re-pack that works too.

Upvotes: 2

Views: 353

Answers (1)

Philippe Ombredanne
Philippe Ombredanne

Reputation: 2025

Creating .dmg images elsewhere than on a Mac is not as easy task at least not an easy task to do using free software. And with non-free, it is mostly for-Mac software. I have been there and decided this was a waste of time.

If you are on a mac, using hdiutil is the way to manipulate .dmg

There is a Python wrapper for instance here https://bitbucket.org/al45tair/dmgbuild to give you some ideas.

In most cases you cannot "edit" a .dmg directly, as these are fixed size images AFAICR. You can however resize one: hdiutil resize -size 70m

Then you can mount it and copy you files to it.

If this is a one time operation, you are better off doing it by hand than automating IMHO.

Now there are a few tools that can possibly build on Linux, but I did not evaluate them AND the key issues when not using hdiutils is to create a .dmg that will always be readable on a Mac... You could try: -hfsplus-tools: https://apps.fedoraproject.org/packages/hfsplus-tools -libdmg-hfsplus: https://github.com/planetbeing/libdmg-hfsplus and in Debian too. -hfsutils: available in Linux distros

See also http://www.nathancoulson.com/proj_cross_tools.php for a list of these and this SO question too: How to build a dmg Mac OS X file (on a non-Mac platform)?

Again, YMMV but I was never able to get 100% reliable .dmg created outside of a Mac.

Upvotes: 1

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