Since the release of Inkscape 1.0, and following versions, this project has no reason to exist anymore. Inkscape 1.0 (Inkscape 1.1.1 at the time of this writing - https://inkscape.org/gallery/item/29282/Inkscape-1.1.1.dmg ) is fully integrated with the Mac OSX UI. The 1.x.x Inkscape has Mac-style menus and window decorations. Granted, it is not perfect: the clipboard integration still has some problems (November 2021). However, Inkscape 1.x.x takes advantage of all the bugfixes and improvement that have been developed. I advise all to install the most recent version of Inkscape 1.x.x for MacOSX.
This is a curated build of Inkscape (currently 0.92.2) for MacOS.
Sometime around 2013, I produced an Inkscape build that was tightly integrated with MacOS, and did not need X11/XQuartz:
- DnD functionality
- MacOS look and feel menubar
- MacOS shortcut keys (Cmd+V, Cmd+C, et.)
- Fully functional pasteboard integration
That build has been well received by users. However, contributing patches to the Inkscape mainstream source repository is not the easiest thing in the world. My 2013 patches never made it to the Inkscape source repository.
I have been using that build (0.48.4) for all these years. It sill works on High Sierra - you can find a dmg installer for that in the Releases tab.
I wanted to try the newest version (0.92.2) and newest feature, so I ported my old patches to the mainline Inkscape source.
The current release (0.92.2) is in the Releases tab
MacOS build tools and compilers implicitly rpath dynamic libraries into other libraries and executable. To build a self-contained Inkscape app package for MacOS, in 2013, the accepted method to build Inkscape for MacOS was to:
- install Macports into a separate directory
- Build Inkscape against the MacPorts directory
- Rewrite all rpath'ed paths in the Inkscape libraries and executable
That might still the build process today. The revision od the rpathed path was particularly painful.
To make my life a little easier, I am pioneering a new build process:
- Install Macports into /Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources
- Build Inkscape against the MacPorts directory
No revision of rpath'ed paths is necessary as all paths are already in the proper place
This buils contains a python installation and all python packages necessary to run all python extensions (including Uniconvertor). Hopefully, I did not forget any.
I will publsih here the full Inkscape source that builds with Macports, has full gtk2/quartz,DnD,shortcuts/pasteboard integration.
Build is configured with
./autogen.sh ./configure \ --prefix=/Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources \ --without-gnome-vfs \ --enable-lcms \ --enable-poppler-cairo \ --disable-silent-rules \ --disable-strict-build \ --enable-carbon \ --disable-dbusapi
This build dmg installer package is larger than the mainstream one. Build contains python, all python packages, and tcl+tk (a dependency of python-pil, which is a dependency of Uniconvertor). The dmg file in the Releases tab should be about 1.5 times the original Inkscape dmg.
- Install MacPorts with
./configure --prefix=/Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources/
- Install MacPorts packages
- Build and install Gtk2
- Build and install Inkscape
- cd to the valerio-packaging directory
bash gen_keepers ; say Done! # this takes a bit of time mv /Applications/Inkscape.app /Applications/Inkscape_Backup.app mkdir /Applications/Inkscape.app rsync -Sav --files-from=./keepers /Applications/Inkscape_Backup.app/ /Applications/Inkscape.app/ ; say Done!
The Gtk2/3 quartz engine is designed mostly around the GIMP build. The gtk-clipboard to MacOS-pasteboard connectivty work only for clipboard and pasteboard types that GIMP uses.
In order for the OS to be able to shuttle clipboard types that are used by Inkscape (SVG, PDF and postscript, mostly) Gtk2 has to be patched.
Without being linked to a patched Gtk2/3, Inscape is not able to use the MacOS clipboard.
These buils and releases are linked with a patched Gtk2, thus they can full use the MacOS clipboard
Patches are in the valerio-patches directory.
Gtk2 is built (after patching) with:
CUPS_CONFIG=/usr/bin/cups-config \ LDFLAGS="-framework Cocoa -framework Carbon" \ ./configure \ --prefix=/Applications/Inkscape.app/Contents/Resources \ --enable-static \ --disable-glibtest \ --enable-introspection \ --with-gdktarget=quartz \ gio_can_sniff=yes
The Inkscape UI is designed and built around the Windows/Linux UI paradigm, where each window owns a menubar. On Mac, there is a menubar common to all windows. For this build, I am just considering a common menubar for all Inkscape windows. I know there are Inscape extensions that dynamically modify the menubar. Personally, I've never used one of those. However, if not having dynamic menubars probel to be a problem to many, we can easily fix it - but it might render the UI slightly more sluggish: The menubar has to be refreshed at each "verb" execution.
MenuItems that use checkmarks do not update - this could be easily fixed too.
DnD on a window does not work yet.
Report to me bugs that pertain to gtk/quartz/MacOS integration of these buils. Inkscape bugs need to be reported to the Inkscape authors: https://inkscape.org/en/contribute/report-bugs/