crashcart-packager

Package Crash BASIC games for distribution on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Usage

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Game"

This will:

1. Stamp your CrashCart with your Crash BASIC Arcade license
2. Download CrashPlayer for your platform
3. Create a ready-to-distribute package

Options

Usage: crashcart-packager [options] <crashcart> <game-name>

Arguments:
  crashcart              Path to the .crashcart file
  game-name              Name of your game

Options:
  -p, --platform <platform>  Target platform (windows, macos, linux)
  -i, --icon <path>          Path to icon file (PNG for best results)
  -o, --output <dir>         Output directory (default: ".")
  --skip-stamp               Skip the stamping step (if already stamped)
  --all                      Build for all platforms

  macOS Code Signing:
  --apple-team-id <id>       Apple Developer Team ID
  --signing-identity <id>    Code signing identity
  --apple-id <email>         Apple ID for notarization
  --apple-password <pass>    App-specific password for notarization

  -h, --help                 Display help

Examples

Package for current platform

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Awesome Game"

Package for all platforms

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Awesome Game" --all

Package with custom icon

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Awesome Game" --icon icon.png

Package for a specific platform

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Awesome Game" --platform windows

Output

The packager creates platform-specific bundles:

• Windows: Folder containing CrashPlayer.exe, your game, and launcher scripts (.bat and .vbs)
• macOS: A proper .app bundle that can be distributed directly
• Linux: Folder containing CrashPlayer, your game, launcher script, and .desktop file

macOS Code Signing & Notarization

For your macOS app to run without security warnings, it must be signed and notarized. The packager will automatically sign and notarize if you provide Apple Developer credentials.

Setup

1. Join the Apple Developer Program at https://developer.apple.com/programs/

2. Create a Developer ID Application certificate

   • Open Keychain Access on your Mac
   • Go to developer.apple.com → Certificates
   • Create a "Developer ID Application" certificate
   • Download and install it in your keychain

3. Create an app-specific password

   • Go to appleid.apple.com → Sign-In and Security
   • Click "App-Specific Passwords" → Generate

4. Find your credentials

   • Team ID: developer.apple.com → Membership → Team ID
   • Signing Identity: Run security find-identity -v -p codesigning Look for "Developer ID Application: Your Name (TEAM_ID)"

Using credentials

Via command line options:

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Game" \
  --apple-team-id "YOUR_TEAM_ID" \
  --signing-identity "Developer ID Application: Your Name (TEAM_ID)" \
  --apple-id "[email protected]" \
  --apple-password "xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"

Or via environment variables:

export APPLE_TEAM_ID="YOUR_TEAM_ID"
export APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY="Developer ID Application: Your Name (TEAM_ID)"
export APPLE_ID="[email protected]"
export APPLE_PASSWORD="xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"

npx crashcart-packager mygame.crashcart "My Game"

Requirements

• Node.js 18 or later
• A Crash BASIC Arcade account with an active subscription (Indie or Studio tier)
• On Windows: PowerShell (for ZIP extraction)
• On Unix: unzip command (for cross-platform Windows builds)
• On macOS (for signing): Apple Developer Program membership, Developer ID certificate

License

© 2026 Crash Continuum LLC. All rights reserved.