They now get signed, an Info.plist is embedded, they’re notarized by Apple, use the hardened runtime, maybe the App Sandbox, and request entitlements. So how do you check their version?
universal binary
If you were to strip unwanted code from a Universal App, would it still pass Big Sur’s strict security checks?
Identical code using system_profiler to look up the firmware version number worked in two apps but failed in a third. The solution was obscure.
Can you strip all Intel executables from a Universal App to make it even smaller? What benefits might there be in building an app for Big Sur only?
Will stripping executable code for an unwanted platform stop an app from working? What savings are to be gained?
No longer relies on the tool lipo, but inspects Universal Binary information, which is quicker. A Universal App.
How easy is it to read the start of a Universal Binary and work out whether it supports Apple Silicon?
Apple gave us a big clue in the command tool lipo, which underwent complete overhaul in Mojave – a clear signpost of where it is heading.
How testing Mach-O files to see if they’re Universal Binaries gets complicated – and probably isn’t as reliable before macOS 10.14.
A new tool for Mints checks executables for ARM64 code, and lists the Universal Binaries it finds in folders. And it fixes log colours.
The Eclectic Light Company 