AppUserModelID (AUMID)
The Windows app identity string that controls taskbar grouping and toast notifications - and why Electron apps break without it.
AppX / MSIX (Microsoft Store package)
The Windows packaging format for Microsoft Store distribution - how it differs from a classic .exe installer.
Auto-Update (Desktop Apps)
How desktop app auto-updates work, why update feeds must only move forward, and what breaks them.
Code Signing
What code signing is, why unsigned apps trigger security warnings, and what it takes to sign for macOS and Windows.
Deep Linking (Custom Protocol)
How custom protocol URLs like myapp:// open a desktop app, and what they're used for.
DMG (Apple Disk Image)
The .dmg format Mac apps ship in - why the drag-to-Applications ritual exists and what a proper DMG needs.
electron-builder
What electron-builder does, the installers and formats it produces, and where its limits are for signing and distribution.
Entitlements (macOS)
What macOS entitlements are, how they gate app capabilities like network and file access, and why sandboxed store apps need them declared exactly.
Gatekeeper
macOS's install-time guard - what triggers "Apple could not verify this app", and what developers must do to pass it cleanly.
Hardened Runtime
What Apple's Hardened Runtime is, why notarization requires it, and what it means for Electron apps.
Notarization
Apple's automated malware scan for Mac apps distributed outside the App Store - what it checks and why Gatekeeper demands it.
NSIS
What an NSIS installer is, why it's the default Windows .exe installer for Electron apps, and how it compares to MSI and AppX.
Provisioning Profile
What an Apple provisioning profile is and why Mac App Store builds fail without the right one embedded.
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen
Windows' download reputation system - why new installers get the blue "Windows protected your PC" wall, and how signing fixes it.
Snap Package
The Linux app format behind the Snap Store - what snaps are, where they run, and how they update.
System Tray / Menu Bar App
What tray and menu bar presence gives a desktop app, and why it's the feature browsers can't offer.