Download > Drag into /Applications isn't easy enough for you?

If the app isn't signed (that's the so-called "developer tax", because it costs you USD100/year), then its:

1. Drag into Applications, try to open it, get warning.

2. Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, click on lock, enter admin password, allow the app to be opened.

So it's not as easy as it used to be.

"right" click the app and select "Open" creates the same exception without the need to open settings. There's also an equivalent terminal command for the exception I can't remember.

If either of those aren't satisfying, you can always drop the check entirely which I can't personally recommend.

> you can always drop the check entirely

I don't think you can? Unless I am missing something?

You can add Terminal to "developer tools" so you can launch stuff from the shell without Gatekeeper interfering, but is there really a way to disable the gatekeeper warning for downloaded apps altogether?

> You can add Terminal to "developer tools" so you can launch stuff from the shell without Gatekeeper interfering ...

How does that work? I use iTerm so how would I add it to "developer tools"?

Go to System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Developer Tools and add iTerm.

If the Developer Tools section isn't visible, this command should fix it [1]:

    spctl developer-mode enable-terminal

[1]: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/60176405/macos-catalina-...

Yes you can turn of gatekeeper entirely just by running this in the Terminal.

  sudo spctl --master-disable

I've just tried that, and I still get the gatekeeper warning, so it doesn't seem to work anymore on macOS Ventura.

Executing the command does make the "Anywhere" option show up in System Settings, but from testing it doesn't seem that this option makes a difference.

This not how things work anymore.

The user gets a warning initially saying that the download is "damaged".

Pretty sure it’s still right click open -> open. Security preferences override only happens for double click.

> Uninstallable is nice, but how about something on making apps not in the app store trivially installable without developers paying Apple a ransom fee?

Isn't that what the article shows how to do?

No, it doesn't. It only shows how your app's data can be deleted if you uninstall your app in a certain way. The scary warnings for apps that aren't notarized are still there.