macos-latest (14) amr64: `error: Finder got an error: AppleEvent timed out.`

[mboudreau]

Description

After restarting the build a dozen times, which used to fix this issue when it did happen, is now fully blocked and we can't release to production. This specific build didn't change at all and was working last at June 26, 2025 22:13 UTC. Something seems to have changed overnight that's caused this issue.

I just updated our build to use macos-15 and that seems to fix the issue. Odd.

create-dmg --volname "App" --volicon "resources/mac-icons/icon.icns" --window-pos 200 120 --window-size 800 400 --icon-size 100 --icon "App.app" 200 190 --hide-extension "GameGlass Hub.app" --app-drop-link 600 185 --codesign "Developer ID Application: <some id>" --notarize "connect-api-key-profile" "./release/darwin/installer-$ARCH.dmg" ./release/darwin/$(find release/darwin/mac* -type d -depth 0 | head -n 1 | xargs -I{} basename "{}")/
Creating disk image...
created: /Users/runner/work/hub/hub/release/darwin/rw.25831.app-arm64.dmg
Mounting disk image...
Device name:     /dev/disk4
Searching for mounted interstitial disk image using /dev/disk4s... 
Mount dir:       /Volumes/dmg.aJvUQZ
Making link to Applications dir...
/Volumes/dmg.aJvUQZ
Copying volume icon file 'resources/mac-icons/icon.icns'...
Running AppleScript to make Finder stuff pretty: /usr/bin/osascript "/var/folders/y6/nj790rtn62lfktb1sh__79hc0000gn/T/createdmg.tmp.XXXXXXXXXX.WuY6Kpm61t" "dmg.aJvUQZ"
/var/folders/y6/nj790rtn62lfktb1sh__79hc0000gn/T/createdmg.tmp.XXXXXXXXXX.WuY6Kpm61t:396:408: execution error: Finder got an error: AppleEvent timed out. (-1712)
Failed running AppleScript
Unmounting disk image...
"disk4" ejected.
 ELIFECYCLE  Command failed with exit code 64.
Error: Process completed with exit code 64.

Platforms affected

• [ ] Azure DevOps
• [x] GitHub Actions - Standard Runners
• [ ] GitHub Actions - Larger Runners

Runner images affected

• [ ] Ubuntu 22.04
• [ ] Ubuntu 24.04
• [ ] macOS 13
• [ ] macOS 13 Arm64
• [ ] macOS 14
• [ ] macOS 14 Arm64
• [ ] macOS 15
• [x] macOS 15 Arm64
• [ ] Windows Server 2019
• [ ] Windows Server 2022
• [ ] Windows Server 2025

Image version and build link

Image: macos-14-arm64 Version: 20250623.1617 Included Software: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/macos-14-arm64/20250623.1617/images/macos/macos-14-arm64-Readme.md Image Release: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/releases/tag/macos-14-arm64%2F20250623.1617

Is it regression?

Maybe?

Expected behavior

To be able to create a DMG as per the command.

Actual behavior

Fails outright.

Repro steps

use create-dmg to build an app on macos-14-arm

[ijunaidm1]

Hi @mboudreau - We will start investigating on this issue and will update you accordingly. Can you please share the workflow run you have tried for this issue.

[kjxbyz]

Same issue on macos-15.

[grzegorzkrukowski]

I can confirm its happening for us as well.

The way to reproduce is to use create-dmg script with finder customisation (background, icon placement) and then AppleScript is hanging - most probably some permission problems that triggers the UI and causing hang

[austinmatherne-wk]

We've also run into this beginning this past week. Here's an example workflow that failed: https://github.com/Arelle/Arelle/actions/runs/15975712608/job/45057515353

[sangeeths03]

Hi @mboudreau, @grzegorzkrukowski

Thanks for the detailed report and repro steps!

I created a test workflow based exactly on your suggestions to reproduce the AppleEvent timed out error on both macos-14-arm64 and macos-15-arm64. Here is the full workflow I used (with Finder customization, background, and icon placement):

Link to the test run : https://github.com/sangeeths03/runner-images-sangeeth/actions/runs/15990658624 Link to the workflow: https://github.com/sangeeths03/runner-images-sangeeth/actions/runs/15990658624/workflow

I ran this multiple times on GitHub Actions for both macos-14 and macos-15 runners, but all runs completed successfully with no AppleScript timeouts or errors. The DMG was created and customized properly every time.

This indicates that the issue might be transient or environment-specific. Could you please share:

• If the problem happens consistently or intermittently?
• Any additional customization or steps not covered by this workflow?

If the problem still occurs on your side, please share any logs or differences so we can dig deeper.

Thanks again for your help! Looking forward to your update.

[sangeeths03]

Hi @austinmatherne-wk , from your workflow i created a minimal workflow and it's working fine (https://github.com/sangeeths03/runner-images-sangeeth/actions/runs/15991196857).

I'll dig deeper into this and continue investigating the underlying cause. Appreciate the reference point!

[kjxbyz]

@sangeeths03 https://github.com/DotDraw/dotdraw/actions/runs/15952725845/job/45106451945

[Edit]

logs_40880315192.zip

[grzegorzkrukowski]

Thanks for looking into that. We do have problems on the private repository that I cannot easily share, but here are the logs from our failing runs:

Run brew install create-dmg
==> Downloading https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core/create-dmg/manifests/1.2.2
==> Fetching create-dmg
==> Downloading https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core/create-dmg/blobs/sha256:ed92cefd6df282057e6c1a162eb453d4c8d3b34a4a8637bf292813817badef81
==> Pouring create-dmg--1.2.2.all.bottle.tar.gz
🍺  /opt/homebrew/Cellar/create-dmg/1.2.2: 13 files, 70.6KB


Stapling /Users/runner/work/application-clients/application-clients/projects/desktop-application/macOS/archive/xcarchive/Application_X_0.26.0.7_CI_Internal_5476d6b1f_arm64.xcarchive/Products/Applications/Application X Internal.app
Processing: /Users/runner/work/application-clients/application-clients/projects/desktop-application/macOS/archive/xcarchive/Application_X_0.26.0.7_CI_Internal_5476d6b1f_arm64.xcarchive/Products/Applications/Application X Internal.app
Processing: /Users/runner/work/application-clients/application-clients/projects/desktop-application/macOS/archive/xcarchive/Application_X_0.26.0.7_CI_Internal_5476d6b1f_arm64.xcarchive/Products/Applications/Application X Internal.app
The staple and validate action worked!
Creating .dmg: /Users/runner/work/application-clients/application-clients/projects/desktop-application/macOS/archive/dmg/Application_X_0.26.0.7_CI_Internal_5476d6b1f_arm64.dmg
Creating disk image...
created: /Users/runner/work/application-clients/application-clients/projects/desktop-application/macOS/archive/dmg/rw.73991.Application_X_0.26.0.7_CI_Internal_5476d6b1f_arm64.dmg
Mounting disk image...
Device name:     /dev/disk92
Searching for mounted interstitial disk image using /dev/disk92s... 
Mount dir:       /Volumes/dmg.iGKJZt
Copying background file './resources/release/[email protected]'...
Making link to Applications dir...
/Volumes/dmg.iGKJZt
Running AppleScript to make Finder stuff pretty: /usr/bin/osascript "/var/folders/x7/ch5v91h56_zbvbd1y2f600dm0000gn/T/createdmg.tmp.XXXXXXXXXX.gLMBqu12NH" "dmg.iGKJZt"
/var/folders/x7/ch5v91h56_zbvbd1y2f600dm0000gn/T/createdmg.tmp.XXXXXXXXXX.gLMBqu12NH:396:408: execution error: Finder got an error: AppleEvent timed out. (-1712)
Failed running AppleScript
Unmounting disk image...
"disk92" ejected.

We are installing the create-dmg through:

brew install create-dmg

And then using it this way:

create-dmg --background "$background_path" --hide-extension "$app_name" --volname "$project_name" --window-pos 400 240 --window-size 356 552 --icon-size 124 --icon "$app_name" 178 183 --app-drop-link 178 371 "$dmg_path" "$applications_path"

The runner we are using currently:

Image: macos-15-arm64
  Version: 20250623.1849
  Included Software: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/blob/macos-15-arm64/20250623.1849/images/macos/macos-15-arm64-Readme.md
  Image Release: https://github.com/actions/runner-images/releases/tag/macos-[15](https://github.com/raycast/raycast-clients/actions/runs/15936804867/job/44958280886#step:1:17)-arm64%2F20250623.1849

[martincapello]

I'm experiencing the same issue here: https://github.com/actions/runner/issues/3921

And it seems to be related with the Runner Image Provisioner, not with the Runner Image. When the Runner Image provisioner is the following:

Runner Image Provisioner
  Hosted Compute Agent
  Version: 20250620.352
  Commit: f262f3aba23b10ea191b2a62bdee1ca4c3d344da
  Build Date: 2025-06-20T19:27:17Z

It fails. I have runs of the very same workflow executed by two different provisioners (using the same runner image). And only fails the one I mentioned. I've also put some screenshots (which I took using screencapture command) in my issue for both cases.

[nodeselector]

We have been completing a backend migration that caused this issue. That is what is causing the changes to occur in the workflow runs. We are in the process of rolling out a fix that should address this issue.

[martincapello]

Thanks @nodeselector now it seems to work as expected!

[anatawa12]

https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/163491

[sangeeths03]

Hi @mboudreau, @grzegorzkrukowski, @kjxbyz, and @austinmatherne-wk — the workflow appears to be running fine now. Could you please also confirm on your end? If everything looks good, we can go ahead and close this issue. Thanks!

[kjxbyz]

It works for me.

https://github.com/DotDraw/dotdraw/actions/runs/15952725845/job/45168947075

[anatawa12]

It works for me with Provisioner 20250701.355. (As I told on support).

https://github.com/vrc-get/vrc-get/actions/runs/16013932986/job/45176915776

[austinmatherne-wk]

It also works for me. Thank you!