Generates configuration profiles to set Sparkle-updater-enabled apps off by default. Inspired by Ben Toms post on the Sparkle fiasco, Nate Walck's Chef-driven version, and Greg Neagle's profiles. Some sample profiles I generated with the tool can be found in the 'example output' folder.
Download from releases, unpack, and use it on the command line in any of these three ways:
~/Downloads/Extinguish-v.3/extinguish.py /Applications/VLC.app
By dragging the path to any affected app into the terminal window, this will generate a single profile in the root of your home folder (or whatever the current directory is you're working in) called disable_autoupdates_VLC.app.
~/Downloads/Extinguish-v.3/extinguish.py -a com.mactrackerapp.Mactracker -a com.fluidapp.Fluid
This will generate two separate profiles with naming like the VLC example above.
~/Downloads/Extinguish-v.3/extinguish.py -g True -a com.mactrackerapp.Mactracker -a com.fluidapp.Fluid
This will generate a single profile called disable_all_sparkle_autoupdates.mobileconfig containing payloads which will disable all apps specified in one shot.
Note, it's a little naïve about naming the resulting file(s) based on the last section in the bundle identifier, and bundle ID's with spaces in them need to be quoted.
To sign the profiles (if you're crazy like me and care about those things...) you can use https://github.com/nmcspadden/ProfileSigner.
NOTICE - You still need to test the effectiveness of the profiles created! In many cases, this will not be enough!
Please see a tool like Tim Sutton's mcxToProfile and follow the workflow that tool provides to collect the appropriate keys for an app that does not work with Extinguish out-of-the-box, or edit the profile generated on your own.
Thanks to @homebysix for the icon!