# mitchellh/gon

Sign, notarize, and package macOS CLI tools and applications written in any language. Available as both a CLI and a Go library.

Repository: https://github.com/mitchellh/gon
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/mitchellh-gon
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: macos, notary, build-tool, golang
Archived: true
Last push: 2023-10-31T20:48:52+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 10/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 0, release rhythm 8, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 2498, "days_push": 1037, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: archived
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1497, forks 104 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:53.928372+00:00)

## What it is
gon is a macOS CLI tool and Go library for code signing, notarizing, and packaging (dmg/zip) binaries and applications written in any language. It automates Apple's notarization workflow, including waiting for completion and stapling tickets.

## Use cases
- sign and notarize macOS binaries for distribution outside the App Store
- automate Apple notarization in CI/CD release pipelines
- package signed files into dmg or zip archives
- staple notarization tickets so Gatekeeper works offline
- embed macOS notarization into a Go build process
- avoid the 'Move to Bin' Gatekeeper error for unsigned apps

## When to choose
- you distribute macOS CLI tools or apps outside the Mac App Store and need automated signing and notarization
- you use GoReleaser or CI pipelines and want machine-readable notarization output
- you want a Go library to embed notarization logic

## When to avoid
- the project is archived and unmaintained since early 2022 - prefer actively maintained alternatives
- you need notarization on non-macOS platforms (it requires macOS tooling)
- you need App Store distribution workflows

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: abandoned
- function: build-tool, security, developer-tools, cli
- domain: operating-systems, developer-tools, security
- platform: cli, go
- tags: code-signing, notarization, apple-notary, goreleaser, dmg-packaging, automation, macos

## Member repositories
- mitchellh/gon (main) score 10

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:53.928372+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:33:09.639766+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mitchellh/gon (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:53.928372+00:00, sha 64fdba3834ce)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.