Run BenchMesh on macOS

macOS builds are published from BenchMesh 0.1.6 on; 0.1.5 had none. Older versions build from source (instructions).

Which download

Open the Apple menu → About This Mac:

A browser cannot tell the two apart, so the download page offers both on a Mac. The .app.tar.gz files on the release page are update bundles for the app itself - you never need to download them. Requirement: macOS 11 Big Sur or later.

Install

1. Open the downloaded .dmg.
2. Drag BenchMesh onto the Applications folder in the window that appears.
3. Eject the disk image (the eject button next to it in Finder’s sidebar). You can delete the .dmg.

First open: “damaged” or “could not verify”

Because the app is not notarised, opening it the first time shows one of these, depending on your macOS version:

• “BenchMesh is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the Trash.” - the app is fine; this is how macOS reports a downloaded app that is not notarised. Do not move it to the Trash.
• “Apple could not verify ‘BenchMesh’ is free of malware that may harm your Mac or compromise your privacy.”

Choose Done or Cancel, then use one of the two fixes. You need it once; later updates install from inside the app without asking again.

Fix A - Terminal (works on every version)

Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities) and run:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/BenchMesh.app

This removes the “downloaded from the internet” flag that macOS put on the app. Then open BenchMesh from Applications as usual. It is the only fix when macOS says the app is damaged.

Fix B - System Settings

1. Try to open BenchMesh once and dismiss the warning.
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security and scroll down to Security: “BenchMesh was blocked to protect your Mac.”
3. Click Open Anyway and confirm with your password or Touch ID, then Open.

macOS 15 Sequoia and later require this way (or Fix A). On macOS 14 Sonoma and older, Control-click the app in Applications → Open → Open also works.

Instruments on macOS

• USB-TMC instruments (most oscilloscopes, signal generators and many supplies) need no driver - BenchMesh talks to them directly.
• USB-serial adapters - CH340 / CH9102, Silicon Labs CP210x, FTDI - work with the drivers built into current macOS. Older macOS versions may need the chip vendor’s driver.
• Serial ports appear as /dev/cu.usbserial-* or /dev/cu.usbmodem*. Detect in the Instruments drawer finds them; you do not need to type a port.
• LAN instruments (SCPI socket, VXI-11) work as on any platform.

To see what macOS reports, list the serial ports in Terminal:

ls /dev/cu.*

Verifying the download

Every build comes from the project’s public CI. To check a file, compute its SHA-256 and compare it with the digest shown next to the file on the GitHub release page:

shasum -a 256 ~/Downloads/BenchMesh_*_aarch64.dmg

Troubleshooting

• Still “damaged” after Fix A - check the path: the command must name the app where it is, e.g. /Applications/BenchMesh.app. Running the app straight from the disk image does not work; copy it to Applications first.
• No “Open Anyway” button - it appears only for about an hour after a blocked attempt. Open the app once more, then look again; or use Fix A.
• “You do not have permission to open the application” - the copy is incomplete; delete it from Applications and drag it from the .dmg again.
• Wrong architecture - the Intel build runs on Apple silicon through Rosetta, but slower; the Apple-silicon build does not run on Intel Macs at all. Download the one that matches your Mac.
• A serial instrument is not found - check that ls /dev/cu.* shows a port when it is plugged in. If not, the adapter needs its vendor’s driver (older macOS) or a different cable (many USB cables carry power only).
• Port busy - another program (a vendor tool, a terminal such as screen) holds the port. Close it, then Detect again.

Settings and recordings live in ~/.benchmesh and survive updates and reinstalls. Something else? Ask the community.