Build Aseprite.app from source for Apple Silicon

• https://gist.github.com/tizee/7a4f03a61592b91239d2caa1a763f413
• My build environment:
  • macOS version: 13.5
  • Aseprite version: 1.3.6 at git commit hash: 92edd5f
• Requirements:
  • ninja: brew install ninja
  • cmake: brew install cmake
• Aseprite's forked of skia: Download compiled Aseprite's fork of skia from https://github.com/aseprite/skia/releases
  • skia-m102 for Aseprite-1.3.6 at 92edd5f: https://github.com/aseprite/skia/releases/tag/m102-861e4743af
  • extract it to $HOME/deps/skia

cd aseprite
mkdir build
cd build
cmake \
  -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo \
  -DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES=arm64 \
  -DCMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=13.5 \
  -DCMAKE_OSX_SYSROOT=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/MacOSX.platform/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX.sdk \
  -DLAF_BACKEND=skia \
  -DSKIA_DIR=$HOME/deps/skia \
  -DSKIA_LIBRARY_DIR=$HOME/deps/skia/out/Release-arm64 \
  -DSKIA_LIBRARY=$HOME/deps/skia/out/Release-arm64/libskia.a \
  -DPNG_ARM_NEON:STRING=on \
  -G Ninja \
  ..
  ninja aseprite

• build output in build/bin

Install Aseprite.app

• Modified from trial version of Aseprite.app package

export $TARGET=/path/to/aseprite/build/bin
mv $TARGET/aseprite Aseprite.app/Contents/MacOS
mv $TARGET/data Aseprite.app/Contents/Resources
mv Aseprite.app /Applications

Avoid damaged App

• Check com.apple.quarantine

xattr /Applications/Aseprite.app

• Remove com.apple.quarantine

xattr -r -d /Applications/Aseprite.app

Add to Path environment variable

• aseprite binary executable is also a command-line tool so it's possible to add it to PATH.

export PATH="$PATH:/Applications/Aseprite.app/Contents/MacOS/"

Reference

• x86 cpu macOS: https://github.com/haxpor/aseprite-macos-buildsh
  • It's sort of outdated now.
• https://www.newverse.wiki/knows/aseprite/
• INSTALL.md in Aseprite repo: https://github.com/aseprite/aseprite/blob/main/INSTALL.md#macos-details

How about LibreSprite

• https://github.com/LibreSprite/LibreSprite
  • I think it's less maintained than Aseprite