`Bug Report / Feature Request: Intel DMG crashes on Apple Silicon (OpenSSL path error) — DeepSeek ARM64 Build Guide Attached`

[Bitcoin-Saver]

Describe the problem

The pre‑built ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.dmg (Intel/x86_64) fails to launch on Apple Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3) with a critical OpenSSL library error.

When attempting to run the application from the terminal, the following traceback occurs:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/ElectrumSV.py", line 11, in <module>
    from electrumsv.main_entrypoint import main
  File "/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/../usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/electrumsv/main_entrypoint.py", line 3, in <module>
    from electrumsv.platform import platform
  File "/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/../usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/electrumsv/platform.py", line 30, in <module>
    from electrumsv.i18n import _
  File "/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/../usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/electrumsv/i18n.py", line 27, in <module>
    from .util import resource_path
  File "/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/../usr/lib/python3.9/site-packages/electrumsv/util/__init__.py", line 32, in <module>
    import ssl
  File "/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/usr/lib/python3.9/ssl.py", line 99, in <module>
    import _ssl             # if we can't import it, let the error propagate
ImportError: dlopen(/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/usr/lib/python3.9/lib-dynload/_ssl.cpython-39-darwin.so, 0x0002): Library not loaded: /usr/local/opt/openssl@3/lib/libssl.3.dylib
  Referenced from: <003F1249-331D-31B9-80A3-682168BFBD37> /Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/usr/lib/python3.9/lib-dynload/_ssl.cpython-39-darwin.so
  Reason: tried: '/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/../Frameworks/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file), '/Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/../usr/lib/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file), '/usr/local/opt/openssl@3/lib/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file), '/System/Volumes/Preboot/Cryptexes/OS/usr/local/opt/openssl@3/lib/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file), '/usr/local/opt/openssl@3/lib/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file), '/usr/local/lib/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file), '/usr/lib/libssl.3.dylib' (no such file, not in dyld cache)

Root cause: The bundled _ssl.cpython-39-darwin.so module has a hardcoded dependency on /usr/local/opt/openssl@3/lib/libssl.3.dylib. That path is correct for Intel Homebrew, but on Apple Silicon Homebrew installs to /opt/homebrew/opt/openssl@3/lib/. Because the .app does not bundle OpenSSL internally, the dynamic linker fails to resolve the dependency.

This means that out‑of‑the‑box, ElectrumSVP v0.1.0 is non‑functional on Apple Silicon unless the user manually creates symbolic links or patches the binary — an advanced workaround that is not reasonable for non‑technical users.

To Reproduce

1. Download ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.dmg from the official releases page.
2. Drag ElectrumSVP.app to the /Applications folder.
3. Open Terminal and run:

   /Applications/ElectrumSVP-0.1.0.app/Contents/MacOS/ElectrumSV

4. Observe the ImportError: Library not loaded error as shown above.

Expected behavior

• The application should launch without errors on a clean macOS installation.
• Ideally, a native ARM64 (Apple Silicon) build should be provided, which would run without Rosetta and with correct, dynamically linked Homebrew paths.
• At minimum, the Intel build should bundle its own OpenSSL libraries or use @executable_path‑relative linking to avoid hardcoded absolute paths.

Desktop

• ElectrumSV version: v0.1.0 (ElectrumSVP)
• OS: macOS 15.7.7
• Architecture: Apple M1 (ARM64)
• Homebrew prefix: /opt/homebrew (standard for Apple Silicon)

Additional context

A verified solution already exists

I have successfully compiled ElectrumSVP natively on Apple Silicon (ARM64) from source. The build process is fully documented, beginner‑friendly, and addresses every dependency pitfall (including correct OpenSSL linking).

Full, verified step‑by‑step guide:
👉 https://chat.deepseek.com/share/y1kmefmmgtbtj3b8wu

That guide:

• Uses pyenv to build Python 3.9.16 with proper OpenSSL 3 and SQLite flags.
• Creates an isolated virtual environment.
• Installs all Python dependencies cleanly.
• Results in a fully functional, Rosetta‑free wallet that launches via the electrum-sv command.

What I am requesting

1. Immediate improvement: Consider adding the build guide to your README.md or a new docs/BUILD_MACOS.md file so that Apple Silicon users can build the app themselves until an official binary is available.
2. Long‑term solution: Use the steps in the guide (or a CI pipeline based on them) to produce and distribute an official, signed, and notarized ElectrumSVP-0.1.0-arm64.dmg for all future releases. This would:
   • Eliminate the OpenSSL path bug permanently.
   • Improve performance by removing the Rosetta translation layer.
   • Increase adoption among the growing number of Apple Silicon users.

Thank you for maintaining ElectrumSVP!

[Bitcoin-Saver]

By the way, I myself am not a programer and being risk adverse, I haven't actually run the following:

📋 The Golden Reference: Final, Consolidated Instructions

Phase 1: One‑Time Setup

(Run this once, in order, without skipping.)

# 1. Install Homebrew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# 2. Install pyenv and all system build dependencies BEFORE Python
brew install pyenv openssl@3 readline sqlite3 xz zlib

# 3. Set compiler flags so Python links correctly to Homebrew's libraries
export LDFLAGS="-L$(brew --prefix openssl@3)/lib -L$(brew --prefix readline)/lib -L$(brew --prefix sqlite3)/lib -L$(brew --prefix zlib)/lib"
export CPPFLAGS="-I$(brew --prefix openssl@3)/include -I$(brew --prefix readline)/include -I$(brew --prefix sqlite3)/include -I$(brew --prefix zlib)/include"
export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="$(brew --prefix openssl@3)/lib/pkgconfig"

# 4. Build and install Python 3.9.16 (this takes a few minutes)
pyenv install 3.9.16

# 5. Configure your shell to recognize pyenv
echo 'export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'command -v pyenv >/dev/null || export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
echo 'eval "$(pyenv init -)"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

⚠️ Restart your Terminal after Phase 1 to ensure all shell changes take effect.

---

Phase 2: Download & Install ElectrumSVP

(Run this once, right after restarting Terminal.)

# 6. Clone the project and enter the folder
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/TruthMachine/ElectrumSVP.git
cd ElectrumSVP

# 7. Pin Python 3.9.16 to THIS folder only (safe, non-global)
pyenv local 3.9.16

# 8. Create and activate the virtual environment
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# 9. Install the exact Python dependencies
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r contrib/deterministic-build/macos-py3.9-requirements-electrumsv.txt

# 10. Install ElectrumSVP in editable mode (makes the 'electrum-sv' command available)
pip install -e .

---

Phase 3: Everyday Launch (Including the Alias Trick)

A) To launch the GUI immediately:

cd ~/ElectrumSVP
source venv/bin/activate
electrum-sv

B) To create a one‑word shortcut (electrum) for even faster launching:

echo 'alias electrum="cd ~/ElectrumSVP && source venv/bin/activate && electrum-sv"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

Now, from anywhere in your Terminal, just type electrum and press Enter. The wallet GUI will open.

---

Phase 4: Updating to New Releases (The Simple Routine)

Whenever a new version is announced, run this 2‑minute ritual:

cd ~/ElectrumSVP
source venv/bin/activate
git pull
pip install -r contrib/deterministic-build/macos-py3.9-requirements-electrumsv.txt
pip install -e .
electrum-sv   # Launches the updated version

---

🧪 Optional: Building a Clickable .app (For Advanced Users)

If you absolutely prefer a traditional macOS application icon to double‑click:

cd ~/ElectrumSVP
source venv/bin/activate
pip install py2app
python setup.py py2app

The .app will appear in the dist folder. You can drag it to /Applications. If macOS blocks it, right‑click → Open once to approve it.

---

🏁 Closing Logic

You now have a native ARM‑64 (M1/M2/M3) build of ElectrumSVP that uses:

• The exact Python 3.9.16 required by the project.
• Properly linked OpenSSL 3, SQLite 3, and readline libraries (no SSL errors).
• A dedicated virtual environment (no system‑wide dependency clutter).

The update process is deterministic and takes less than 60 seconds. No Rosetta, no hardcoded Intel paths, no Gatekeeper headaches (if using the terminal launcher).

...Should I use this guide or wait for a fixed version of the .dmg for my hardware?

[TruthMachine]

Hey thanks for investigating ElectrumSVP. You are absolutely right, there was an issue with version 0.1.0 on mac. Soon after release I was notified of the issue on Twitter and then pushed a fix in version 0.1.1 for Mac. So please download the dmg version 0.1.1 and see if it fixes the issue. The Homebrew fix you mentioned will also work, but its better to use the new version: https://github.com/TruthMachine/ElectrumSVP/releases/tag/v0.1.0

[Bitcoin-Saver]

Hey, I feel silly for not seeing that version 0.1.1 earlier... Oh well. When I opened my wallet file from ElectrumSV (manually since the app didn't find the ElectrumSV wallet file in the wallet folder) prompt me to upgrade or anything. Is that OK? I just don't want to have my coins become inaccessible due to leaving them in an old ElectrumSV wallet, that is why I've gone to all this trouble. Sadly BSV doesn't seem to be like gold that you can hide away and forget about (not worry about obsolescence).

[TruthMachine]

Yeah I thought about removing the 0.1.0 version so people won't get confused, but its probably best to leave it up for transparency. If you have an older style ElectrumSV wallet, you should be able to just download the new version and open it and it will find your previous wallets automatically. This is not tested as much on mac but it should work. When you launch ElectrumSVP it will replace your headers file with a new preloaded headers file which is not compatible with the old version of ElectrumSV. So when opening the old version your wallet will still open but it will fail to connect. If you want to go back to the old version you just have to locate the headers file and delete it, and then relaunch it and let it sync.