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Installing Slate Tracker on macOS

The Slate Tracker desktop agent is supported on macOS 13 Ventura and later. During the public beta the macOS build is not yet notarised, so the first launch needs a small Gatekeeper workaround.

What you will need

  • The latest SlateTracker.dmg from your account dashboard.
  • Your license key.
  • A folder where you will drop on-set reference images.

1. Download the disk image

Sign in to the cloud dashboard at dashboard.slate-tracker.com, open Downloads, and pick macOS disk image (.dmg). The file is named SlateTracker.dmg.

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Downloads page in the cloud dashboard with the macOS DMG highlighted.

2. Mount and copy the app

Double click the DMG to mount it. Drag Slate Tracker.app into your Applications folder.

Slate Tracker.app  -->  /Applications

Eject the DMG once the copy finishes.

3. Gatekeeper workaround

The beta build is not yet notarised by Apple, so the first time you open it macOS will refuse with the message:

"Slate Tracker" cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified.

To allow it:

  1. Open System Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy and Security.
  3. Scroll to the Security section. You will see a message about Slate Tracker being blocked.
  4. Click Open Anyway.
  5. Confirm with your Mac password or Touch ID.
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Privacy and Security pane in System Settings, with the Open Anyway button visible.

After this one time approval the app will open normally going forward.

Note

The signed and notarised build is on the roadmap. Once it is released, this step disappears.

4. Grant folder access

The first time Slate Tracker tries to watch your reference folder, macOS will prompt for Files and Folders access. Click Allow for the folder you plan to watch and for the output folder.

If you accidentally deny, you can re-enable in System Settings, Privacy and Security, Files and Folders.

5. First launch wizard

Open Slate Tracker from Applications. The agent asks for:

  1. The folder it should watch for new images.
  2. The folder it should file processed images into.
  3. Your license key.

Click Save and start watching. The menu bar icon turns amber when the agent is active.

6. Verify it is working

Drop a test image into your watch folder. Within a few seconds you should see:

  • A notification from the menu bar icon.
  • A new entry on the local dashboard at http://localhost:7745.
  • The image filed into the output folder using the slate card name.

If anything misbehaves, see Desktop Agent Cannot Reach the Cloud.

7. Run on login (optional)

Open the agent, go to Settings, then Startup, and toggle Open at login. The agent registers as a login item; no admin permissions are required.

Uninstalling

Quit the agent from the menu bar, then drag Slate Tracker.app from Applications to the Trash. Your watch folder, output folder, and config.yaml are left untouched.