pkgflow

Interactive macOS .pkg and .dmg installer helper with a Finder Quick Action.

Scans a directory for .pkg and .dmg files, validates packages, and lets you pick which ones to install — all from a curses-based TUI or directly from a right-click in Finder.

Features

• Recursively scans directories for .pkg and .dmg files (configurable depth)
• Validates .pkg bundles via installer -pkginfo before installation
• Mounts .dmg images and extracts contained .pkg files
• Interactive curses picker for selecting packages
• Handles Distribution packages with multiple choices automatically
• Finder Quick Action for launching directly from right-click menu

Requirements

• macOS
• Python 3 (ships with macOS or via Xcode Command Line Tools)

Usage

Command Line

# Scan current directory
python3 pkgflow.py

# Scan a specific directory
python3 pkgflow.py /path/to/packages

# Limit scan depth
python3 pkgflow.py /path/to/packages --max-depth 2

Interactive Controls

Key	Action
↑ / ↓ or k / j	Navigate
Space	Toggle selection
d	Unpack selected DMGs
Enter	Confirm and install

Finder Quick Action

pkgflow includes a macOS Automator workflow that adds a Quick Action to Finder's right-click menu. Right-click any folder or file, go to Quick Actions, and select pkgflow to launch it in Terminal for that directory.

Installing the Quick Action

Run the install script:

./install-workflow.sh

This copies pkgflow.workflow to ~/Library/Services/.

Activating the Extension

After installing, you need to enable the extension in macOS:

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Extensions → Finder Extensions
2. Or: System Settings → General → Login Items & Extensions → Finder (depending on macOS version)
3. Toggle pkgflow on

Once enabled, the Quick Action appears in Finder's right-click context menu under Quick Actions.

How It Works

1. Scan — Walks the target directory tree collecting .pkg and .dmg files
2. Validate — Runs installer -pkginfo on each .pkg to check validity
3. Select — Presents an interactive picker (or auto-selects in non-interactive mode)
4. Extract — Mounts selected .dmg files and copies out any .pkg files found inside
5. Install — Runs sudo installer -pkg ... -target / for each selected package, with automatic applyChoiceChangesXML for Distribution packages

License

MIT