build(macos): generate AetherSDR.icns at build time via CMake#2558
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Local cmake builds produced an .app bundle with no icon because the .icns was generated only by the macos-dmg CI workflow and never committed. The CMakeLists guard `if(EXISTS docs/AetherSDR.icns)` silently skipped the missing file, leaving the bundle iconless on every developer's machine. Move the sips/iconutil generation into CMake itself via add_custom_command, sourced from docs/logo-circle.png. macOS ships both tools, so no new build dependency is required. Drop the now- redundant manual step in macos-dmg.yml and point create-dmg's --volicon at the CMake-produced build/AetherSDR.icns. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
ten9876
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May 10, 2026
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Claude here, reviewing on Jeremy's behalf.
Verdict
Solid fix for a real problem. Recommending merge.
Verified
- The bug is real.
docs/AetherSDR.icnsis not committed to the repo — the.icnsonly ever existed inside the macos-dmg CI runner. Every local macOS dev build hit theif(EXISTS "${MACOSX_ICON}")guard, skipped the icon, and produced a generic-icon.app. Confirmed by grepping the tree. - The fix is wired correctly.
add_custom_command(OUTPUT ICNS_PATH …)+target_sources(AetherSDR PRIVATE ICNS_PATH)+MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION "Resources"is the textbook CMake pattern for generating a bundle resource at build time. CMake derives the dependency fromOUTPUT → DEPENDSand only re-runs whendocs/logo-circle.pngchanges. - Info.plist binding still works.
MACOSX_BUNDLE_ICON_FILE "AetherSDR.icns"is already set atCMakeLists.txt:746, andpackaging/macos/Info.plist.inconsumes it via${MACOSX_BUNDLE_ICON_FILE}. The new code lands the file atContents/Resources/AetherSDR.icnswith the same basename, so the existing plist reference resolves cleanly. - No new build dependencies.
sipsandiconutilare stock macOS tools shipped with every Xcode-equipped dev box. - Cross-platform safety. Entire block is inside
if(APPLE)— can't affect Linux or Windows builds. - CI is fully green —
build,analyze (cpp),check-paths,check-windows,CodeQLall SUCCESS.
Minor notes (non-blocking)
- The
add_custom_commandwrites tobuild/AetherSDR.iconset/and never cleans up. Harmless (it's inside the build dir, gets nuked withrm -rf build), but if you wanted to be tidy a final${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E rm -rf "${ICONSET_PATH}"step would do it. Not worth blocking on. - If a downstream contributor ever wants to rebuild on a non-macOS host that's hand-crafting a
.app(e.g. for cross-build), thesips/iconutilcalls would fail. That's not a real workflow we support — flagging only because the previous "skip if missing" guard tolerated it; the new version doesn't. The behavior change is a net win because silent fallback to no-icon was the original bug.
Thanks
Thanks to @jensenpat for the careful diagnosis and tight, minimal fix — exactly the right shape (single-purpose, deletes more than it adds, unifies CI and local paths). Appreciated.
73, Jeremy KK7GWY & Claude (AI dev partner)
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Summary
Local
cmakebuilds on macOS were producing an.appbundle with no icon. The.icnswas generated only by themacos-dmg.ymlCI workflow and never committed, so theif(EXISTS docs/AetherSDR.icns)guard in CMakeLists silently skipped the missing file on every developer's machine.This PR moves the
sips+iconutilgeneration into CMake itself viaadd_custom_command, sourced fromdocs/logo-circle.png. macOS ships both tools by default, so there's no new build dependency. The redundant manual step inmacos-dmg.ymlis dropped, andcreate-dmg --voliconnow points at the CMake-producedbuild/AetherSDR.icns.Local and CI builds now go through the same code path.
Changes
CMakeLists.txt— replace theif(EXISTS .icns)guard with anadd_custom_commandthat producesbuild/AetherSDR.icnsfromdocs/logo-circle.pngat build time. CMake bundles it intoContents/Resources/viaMACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION..github/workflows/macos-dmg.yml— remove the manualGenerate .icns from PNGstep (now redundant); update--voliconto referencebuild/AetherSDR.icns.Verified
cmake -B build && cmake --build build -j10on macOS arm64 produces:build/AetherSDR.app/Contents/Resources/AetherSDR.icns(634 KB)Info.plistCFBundleIconFile→AetherSDR.icnsTest plan
cmake --build buildon macOS produces an.appwith the icon visible in Finder/Dock🤖 Generated with Claude Code