PyObjC Not Showing in Plugin Manager / Reporters on macOS Monterey (Glyphs 3.4, Intel Mac)

[simoncharwey]

Hi Glyphs team,

I’m trying to use Python-based reporters, but I cannot see PyObjC in the Plugin Manager or Reporter toggler.

• Installed Python via Plugin Manager and restarted Glyphs.

• Installed PyObjC via Terminal (pip3 install --user pyobjc) — confirmed in system Python.

• Still, Glyphs does not recognize it; Reporter list is mostly empty.

Environment:

• macOS Monterey 12.7.x (Intel)

• Glyphs 3.4

It seems Glyphs is using its internal Python bridge, which ignores system Python installs. I’ve found that deleting:

~/Library/Application Support/Glyphs 3/Python
~/Library/Application Support/Glyphs 3/Repositories

and relaunching Glyphs rebuilds the Python environment and fixes the issue, but it’s not documented anywhere.

Could you clarify the official procedure for ensuring PyObjC and other Python modules are recognized, especially on macOS Monterey? This would help avoid confusion for new users and those doing font engineering + scripting.

Thanks!

I am supposed to see all listed in Reporter Toggler tab below. But I am seeing only few, as in image reference above.

[simoncharwey]

I will appreciate any assistance here, when you have a moment.

Thank you.

[GeorgSeifert]

If you install python from the Plugin Manager, you don’t need to install pyobjc. But you need to check what version of python you are actually using. make sur that “3.11.9 (Glyphs)” is selected in Preferences > Addons > Python version.
Or:
You probably have more than one python version installed. So make sure that the python version that is your “system” python is selected in the Preferences.

[simoncharwey]

1. I remove older version of Pythons in terminal
2. Reinstalled Glyphs Python and restarted Glyphs
3. Relaunched Glyphs and ensure Glyphs is set to Python 3.11.9
4. Reinstalled Reporter Toggler, and restarted Glyphs
5. Relaunched Glyphs yet still the Reporter Toggler showing only 3 items is expected — those are the non-Python (Objective-C) reporters.

So we are now in a single, well-defined failure mode:

Glyphs cannot start its embedded Python runtime

This is not about PyObjC, versions, or multiple Pythons anymore.

I learned on macOS Monterey (Intel), this usually happens when:

• Python.framework was removed (correctly), but
• macOS has not yet granted Glyphs permission to load Python extensions
• OR the Glyphs Python bundle is failing signature / quarantine checks

Is there a way to force macOS to trust Glyphs’ Python bundle? (I will look keep searching and troubleshooting in autodidact mode for now. Else, I have to give up on my macOS Monterey (Intel), and start thinking of getting a new MacBook : (

[simoncharwey]

I pasted into the Macro Panel and run:

import sys
print(sys.version)

Glyphs Python is installed correctly

Python is running

But Python reporter plugins are not being discovered or loaded

Does this give us any clue, what I should be doing next to resolve this reporter issue? Thank you

[GeorgSeifert]

Can you check if the reporters are shown in the view menu?

[simoncharwey]

Sorry for the late response. They are not showing. Below are some screenshot to confirm whether I am on the same page with you. Thank you.

View:

Python version: No dropdown list of any version at all (Though version 3.11.9 is currently installed in Glyphs’ plugin manager)

[GeorgSeifert]

Can you show your plugins folder?

[simoncharwey]

[SCarewe (Sebastian Carewe)]

Not that one. The one next to the Scripts folder, which you can reach via the menu Scripts > Open Scripts Folder.

[simoncharwey]

Thank you, Sebastian. It is marked as ‘Disabled’.

[SCarewe (Sebastian Carewe)]

And the “Plugins” folder (to the left of the Disabled one)?

[simoncharwey]

Great question. I do not understand what is happening.
Should I delete the “Disabled" one?

[GeorgSeifert]

Can you install the plugins again?

[simoncharwey]

You mean the Reporter Toggler, correct? Yes, let me uninstall and reinstall and relaunch Glyphs.

[simoncharwey]

I uninstall and reinstall the Reporter Toggler, then restart Glyphs.
But the problems persist.

1. Only 4 reporters are showing.

2. The Python is not showing to be selected.

[GeorgSeifert]

The reporter toggles only allows to en/disable the reporter that you otherwise would do in the view menu.
In the screenshot it said that you have 3 plugins installed. You need to install the actual reporters.

[GeorgSeifert]

can you show the Repositories folder, too?

[simoncharwey]

I uninstalled Glyphs completely. And did some housecleaning. And reinstalling of plugins directly in terminal.

”That SUCCESS: All systems go! message is the green light we’ve been waiting for. It means your Mac’s Python environment is now fully equipped with the “engines” (DrawBot, Vanilla, FontTools) that both RoboFont and Glyphs need to run advanced extensions like xTools4.”

I guess things will work out now. That I have my Mac’s Python environment is now fully equipped with the “engines” (DrawBot, Vanilla, FontTools). I will be using xTools4, so this seems like a successful news. I will update shortly.

[simoncharwey]

Reinstalled Glyphs > Python now selected successfully > I will go ahead and install the actual reporters, as suggested.

Below is the Repositories folder, as requested.