[Tool] open.mp for MacOS

[Xyranaut]

open.mp Launcher — macOS (Apple Silicon) build

Hey everyone — I've put together a native macOS build of the open.mp launcher. Upstream is Windows-only; this fork adds the bits needed to build, sign, and run the same launcher on Apple Silicon Macs, with the rest of the launch flow handled through CrossOver.

Repo: GitHub
Latest .pkg: Releases page

What's in the build

• Native window chrome — real macOS traffic lights (close / minimise / zoom), green-button tiling + fullscreen, proper drag/double-click zoom.
  
• Apple Silicon optimised — built and tagged as 1.6.3-arm.N; this is the version channel the launcher checks for updates so you won't get nagged by Windows-only releases.
  
• Settings → Overview
  
• CrossOver detection
  
• Bottle picker (auto-detects bottles containing GTA: SA / Rockstar Games Launcher), one-click Show in Finder
  
• SA-MP version dropdown (0.3.7-R5, R4, R3.1, R3, DL, R2, R1) with install / reinstall / "already installed" states, ~4-second install with progress
  
• Status pills for game detected / Rockstar Launcher detected / installed SA-MP version
  
• Settings → Preferences — language picker, theme (system / dark / light), nickname, default SA-MP version.
  
• Settings → Advanced — debug / power-user toggles.
  
• Settings → Danger Zone — hold-to-confirm destructive actions:
  
• Uninstall SA-MP client files
  
• Clear SA-MP / open.mp config, chat logs and client settings
  
• Reset launcher data
  
• Settings → License — bundled MPL + third-party credits.
  
• Server browser — Favorites, Internet, Partners, Recently Joined; search by hostname / mode, language + non-empty + unpassworded + open.mp-only filters, per-column sorting, drag-to-reorder favorites.
  
• Automatic launch flow — when you hit Connect: copies SA-MP files into the game folder, drops the vorbisFile.dll loader proxy, applies the Wine audio fix, launches GTA: SA through CrossOver, then auto-connects with your nickname.
  
• Installer — flat-distribution .pkg with license screen, preinstall (gently quits the running copy + cleans up legacy bundles) and postinstall (clears quarantine, drops a Desktop shortcut named "Open Multiplayer", keeps a "SAMP Launcher.app" Finder alias for muscle memory).
  

What you need

• Apple Silicon Mac (M1 / M2 / M3 / M4). Intel Macs are not supported.
  
• CrossOver from CodeWeavers — runs the Windows version of GTA: SA on macOS. (codeweavers.com/crossover)
  
• GTA: San Andreas v1.0 inside a CrossOver bottle. SA-MP / open.mp only work with the 1.0 executable — Steam / Rockstar Launcher copies have to be downgraded first.
  

The launcher cannot install the game or Windows for you — set the two above up once, then it handles everything else automatically.

Install

1. Download pkg from the Releases page.
   
2. Double-click the .pkg, accept the license, enter your password.
   
3. Open Open Multiplayer from Applications (or from the Desktop alias the installer drops).
   

First-launch tip: the .pkg itself isn't notarised (no paid Apple Developer account). If macOS refuses to open the installer on double-click, right-click it → Open → Open to bypass Gatekeeper once.

Updates
The launcher checks this repo's GitHub releases for updates, not the upstream Windows channel. Versions are tagged 1.6.3-arm.N — a Windows release like 1.6.4 will not prompt this build to update. The "Update available" badge only appears when a new -arm tag ships here.

Known limitations

• Apple Silicon only — no Intel build.
  
• Ad-hoc signed, not notarised. Bundle launches without a "damaged" warning because the postinstall clears the quarantine flag; the .pkg itself still needs the right-click → Open dance on first run.
  
• Requires CrossOver — there's no built-in Wine. Free Wine builds run GTA: SA poorly enough that bundling them wasn't worth the support load.
  
• GTA: SA must be v1.0; the launcher cannot downgrade Steam / Rockstar copies for you.
  

Credits

All launcher functionality is the work of the open.mp team. This fork only adds the macOS build path. If you'd like to support upstream development: opencollective.com/openmultiplayer.

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Legal & disclaimer

• You must own a legitimate copy of GTA: San Andreas. This project does not distribute, link to, or help anyone obtain the game, its assets, or any Rockstar / Take-Two property. Use a copy you have lawfully purchased (Steam, Rockstar Games Launcher, retail disc).
  
• No piracy. This project does not endorse, condone, or support pirated copies of GTA: San Andreas, SA-MP, open.mp, CrossOver, Windows, or any other software. Requests for pirated material will not be entertained — please don't ask in this thread, in DMs, or on the GitHub repo.
  
• Not affiliated. This is an unofficial, community-built fork. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, CodeWeavers (CrossOver), the SA-MP team, the open.mp team, or Apple. All trademarks and product names are the property of their respective owners.
  
• Third-party tools at your own risk. Any external tools mentioned above (Rockstar Nexus downgrader, custom executables, bottle patches, etc.) are not part of this project. Use them at your own discretion and only on copies you own.
  
• No warranty. The launcher is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. You are responsible for backups and for any consequences of running it on your machine.
  
• License. Source code is distributed under the Mozilla Public License 2.0, inherited from upstream. The "open.mp" name and logo remain subject to upstream's trademark policy.
  

— Xyranaut

[Xyranaut]

Video:
[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3rhgo7lky4]

Pictures:
Server browser



Settings — Overview



Settings — Preferences & Advanced



Settings — Danger Zone



Settings — License

[Xyranaut]

Setting up CrossOver + GTA: SA — what worked for me

A small follow-up for anyone trying to get the launcher running end-to-end. The macOS launcher takes over once the game is installed and on v1.0; the steps below are the bits CrossOver and Rockstar leave on you.

Getting CrossOver

CrossOver is the Windows compatibility layer that runs GTA: SA on macOS. The launcher does not bundle Wine — grab CrossOver from CodeWeavers directly:

• codeweavers.com/crossover — paid license, with a 14-day free trial.
  

Version note. The steps below were tested on CrossOver 26.1, which is why the libcef.dll workaround later in this post is scoped to that build. CodeWeavers ships fixes on a tight cadence, so install the latest version if you can — newer releases often clear up the same issues without any manual patching. If the Rockstar Games Launcher window renders fine on your version, ignore the Terminal step entirely.

Installing the game

1. Install Rockstar Games Launcher (RGL) inside CrossOver. CrossOver creates a fresh bottle for it automatically — no manual bottle setup.
   
2. Buy / own Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy on Rockstar's store (link). This is the classic trilogy, not the Definitive Edition — only the classic build works with SA-MP / open.mp.
   
3. Open RGL and install Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from your library. (If GTA: SA does not appear, make sure the Trilogy purchase is tied to the Social Club account you're signed in with.)
   
4. If RGL or the game misbehave, re-install the following into the same bottle and try again: ("Rockstar Games Launcher" Bottle -> Install Application into Bottle)
   
   • Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable
     
   • Microsoft Edge WebView2
     
   • .NET Framework 4.8
     
   • DirectX for Modern Games
     
5. CrossOver 26.1 only. If RGL opens but the window stays invisible / blank, fully quit CrossOver and run this in macOS Terminal:
   

Code:

bottle="Rockstar Games Launcher"
dll="$HOME/Library/Application Support/CrossOver/Bottles/$bottle/drive_c/Program Files/Rockstar Games/Social Club/libcef.dll"
perl -0777 -pi -e 's/use-gl/xse-gl/g' "$dll"

Reopen CrossOver, launch RGL again — the window should now render.

Issues you may hit

Mouse spinning / broken camera movement

A well-known macOS + CrossOver quirk — the camera spins forever or mouse input goes unstable as soon as you're in-game. What fixed it for me was swapping the Rockstar build of gta-sa.exe for the Steam one:

1. Get hold of a Steam build gta-sa.exe
   
2. In CrossOver, open the bottle → Open C: Drive.
   
3. Navigate to your GTA: San Andreas install folder.
   
4. Paste the Steam gta-sa.exe there (keep gta_sa.exe as well)
   
5. Inside CrossOver: Run Command → Browse → pick the gta-sa.exe you just pasted → Save command as launcher.
   

Side benefit: the saved command also lets you launch GTA: SA single-player straight from CrossOver, without going through RGL each time.

Downgrading to v1.0

SA-MP and open.mp only run against the v1.0 executable, so any modern Steam / Rockstar copy has to be downgraded. I used the Rockstar Nexus downgrade tool:

1. Download the downgrade tool to your Mac.
   
2. Open your CrossOver bottle.
   
3. Click Install Application into Bottle.
   
4. Browse to your Downloads folder and select the downgrade tool.
   
5. When the tool asks which gta-sa.exe to target, point it at the one inside the bottle.
   
6. Let it finish.
   

Once the game is on v1.0, the launcher picks up the bottle automatically — install your SA-MP version from Settings → Overview and hit Connect on a server.