Field Report: Getting CreateRest Monorepo (app) to Launch on macOS Without Fighting My Mac All Night
What I wanted: a small, self-contained REST workspace I could keep alongside a repo, mainly for quick mocking and sanity-checking endpoints before I push changes. I grabbed CreateRest Monorepo (app) (the listing I found mentioned NimbusApps) and expected the usual macOS routine: drag to Applications, double-click, done.
What actually happened: macOS did the thing where it stares at you politely while refusing to cooperate. On first launch I got the classic warning that the app “can’t be opened” because Apple can’t check it for malicious software. No crash log, no helpful “here’s what’s missing,” just the digital equivalent of a shrug.
I tried the normal “be a responsible Mac user” steps first.
Attempt #1: Move it properly + try again
I dragged the app into /Applications (because sometimes running from Downloads trips extra security checks), ejected the DMG, rebooted for good measure, and tried again. Same warning. The dialog didn’t offer a clean “Open Anyway” button right there, which usually means Gatekeeper has already decided it knows better than me.
Attempt #2: Privacy & Security override
Next stop: System Settings → Privacy & Security. This is where macOS usually gives you a quiet “Open Anyway” after you’ve tried once. Apple’s own guidance for this flow is here: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/102445 (Apple Support)
In my case, the “Open Anyway” option showed up only after I re-triggered the warning once more. I clicked it, authenticated, and… the app still didn’t launch. Now I had two problems: Gatekeeper was no longer the blocker, but the app was still refusing to start. Progress, technically.
At this point I did the thing I always pretend I won’t do: I opened Terminal.
Attempt #3 (dead end-ish): Check signing / notarization vibes
I’m not trying to become a part-time code signing archaeologist, but it helps to know what macOS thinks it’s dealing with. Apple’s notarization overview is here (and it’s the right rabbit hole if you distribute Mac apps outside the App Store):
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/security/notarizing-macos-software-before-distribution (Apple Developer)
I poked around enough to confirm my suspicion: the app bundle was carrying the quarantine attribute from the download, and Gatekeeper was reacting to that plus whatever the system could (or couldn’t) verify.
Attempt #4: Remove the quarantine attribute (this actually worked)
This was the turning point. macOS tags downloaded apps with a quarantine flag, and sometimes that interacts badly with apps distributed outside the App Store—especially if the download path or packaging is a little unusual. Removing that tag is basically telling macOS: “Yes, I meant to do this.”
I ran the quarantine removal on the app inside Applications, then launched it again. This time: it opened normally. No drama, no warning dialog, just the app window appearing like it had been innocent the whole time. (Of course.)
Somewhere around here I also saved/bookmarked this page because I kept returning to it while double-checking the macOS download/launch details and I didn’t want to lose the thread: https://hormozstore.com/developer/89152-createrest-monorepo.html
Once it was running, I did a quick pass through permissions. The first network request triggered the usual prompts, and after allowing what made sense, it behaved consistently. Nothing magical—just macOS being macOS.
A small note on safety, because it matters: removing quarantine is a blunt instrument. It’s fine when you trust the source and you understand what you’re bypassing, but it’s also exactly how people accidentally run garbage they shouldn’t. If I couldn’t tie the build back to a developer I trust, I wouldn’t do it.
If I had to do it again (and wanted to save myself the detour), here’s the straight path I’d take:
- Move the app to
/Applicationsbefore first launch. - Try launching once so macOS logs the block.
- Check Privacy & Security for “Open Anyway.”
- If it still refuses and I’m confident about the source, remove quarantine and retry.
- If I’m not confident, I’d stop and look for an App Store alternative first.
Speaking of: when I’m unsure, I like to confirm whether there’s a Mac App Store build (or at least similar tools) by searching directly on Apple’s domain:
https://apps.apple.com/us/search?term=CreateRest (App Store)
And if you want to trace the developer side of things, this is the NimbusApps site I found referenced online:
https://nimbusapps.cloud/ (nimbusapps.cloud)
End result: the app runs, my endpoints are testable, and I got a fresh reminder that Gatekeeper isn’t “broken”—it’s just extremely confident.
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