Installation Notes

Install via Homebrew Cask - Recommended

Install the compiled package.

brew tap cutbox/cutbox
brew install --cask cutbox

Read the notes shown by homebrew and follow the

Install by downloading the release DMG

Open the CutBox latest release page cutbox/CutBox/releases/latest

Download the DMG and open it on macOS. You'll find CutBox.app & cutbox (cli tool) inside.

Drag the .app to /Applications and copy cutbox to your somewhere in exec $PATH, for example, /usr/local/bin.

Follow the macOS Security Settings First Run section.

Install via Homebrew formula

Builds the package from source, a full Xcode installation needed.

brew tap cutbox/cutbox
brew install cutbox

macOS Security Settings First Run

When you first run CutBox Macos will prompt you that the developer cannot be identified.

Please read this post from Apple.

If you prefer to install open source software that isn't notarized (such as CutBox, Chromium or other large free opensource projects.) on your Mac, you can do this in the terminal.

sudo spctl --master-disable

I only recommend this if you feel comfortable using free software that you can code audit.

Remember, the notarisation process by Apple, doesn't do any software quality or security scanning, it is simply a process which applies an Apple generated hash/checksum. Gatekeeper then looks for that hash to mark software as valid, nothing more. In effect "security" is enhanced in one simple way, a developer who has a registered Apple ID can be directly linked to the app binary.

CutBox will be free and open forever, and is licensed under GNU/GPL3, so the source is always available. Donations are important to help keep it developed and improved.

CutBox is code audited by Codacy. However it doesn't participate in Apple's anti-opensource gatekeeper / notarisation system or any other parts of Apple's Walled Garden..

CutBox.app and cutbox releases are build using Github actions, so you can also inspect the entire test/deploy/delivery chain online at cutbox/CutBox.

If you have any concerns about the integrity of your CutBox.app, make sure to build it directly from source on your local machine, this is easily achieved using Homebrew and installing XCode. See Install via Homebrew formula

Permissions to enable CutBox paste

After installation or upgrade, the CutBox.app requires security permissions set, so that it can paste.

Open System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy -> Accessibility

Unlock the panel and add CutBox to the list of apps (also switch on the check box next to its icon).

Do the same for input monitoring...:

Go to System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy -> Input Monitoring

Make sure CutBox is in the list and its checkbox is on.

Please Note

CutBox.app will need to be restarted for these permissions to activate. (macOS will suggest restarting CutBox anyway.)