MacPorts
Inkscape 0.92.4 is currently available via MacPorts only, both as an X11 build and as a native Quartz build. The native Quartz build can potentially be less stable, and less well integrated into the desktop environment (e.g. for copy-pasting).
We suggest sticking with the X11 build for the time being until Inkscape has fully made the transition to go native on macOS. The instructions below are for the X11 build.
Prerequisites
MacPorts requires a working installation of Xcode and its commandline tools, so install this first. You are good to go if running gcc --version in Terminal gives some meaningful output.
We strongly encourage installing MacPorts via the binary installers (*.pkg) offered on their website. They install MacPorts into the default location (/opt/local/bin) and also configure important things like binary repositories so it can use pre-compiled packages and not compile everything itself when you install new software. This does not only save you valuable time but also avoids some issues/hickups that occur if MacPorts builds everything from source.
We also encourage the installation of Xorg via MacPorts and not the (outdated) version supplied by https://www.xquartz.org.
Installation
macOS 10.13 High Sierra
sudo port install inkscape
sudo port install xorg-server
If you want Inkscape to show up in your Applications folder:
ln -s /opt/local/bin/inkscape /Applications/Inkscape # not pretty, but worksmacOS 10.14 Mojave
sudo port install inkscape
sudo port install xorg-serverPlease logout of your Desktop and back in after having installed xorg-server.
If the installation of xorg-server fails, complaining about mkfontdir vs mkfontscale, this is a quick & dirty fix:
# remove xorg-fonts from portfile
sudo sed -i '' '/port:xorg-fonts/d' /opt/local/var/macports/sources/rsync.macports.org/macports/release/tarballs/ports/x11/xorg-server/Portfile sudo port install xorg-server # continue installation
If you want Inkscape to show up in your Applications folder:
ln -s /opt/local/bin/inkscape /Applications/Inkscape # not pretty, but works
(10.4 (Tiger) to 10.12 (Sierra) are not supported.)
The MacPorts Inkscape builds are provided by MacPorts. If you encounter issues with installing via MacPorts, please contact them via their their bugtracker.
FAQ
Why do I get the message "Nothing to do!" from Inkscape?
- You have installed Inkscape but not Xorg.
- You have not logged out and back in to your Desktop after having installed Xorg.
How can I launch Inkscape with Finder?
Since there is no application bundle you have to launch the main binary directly. You can either run /opt/local/bin/inkscape form Terminal, navigate with Finder to /opt/local/bin and double click on inkscape or create a symlink for you own convenience to have it appear in your Applications folder (ln -s /opt/local/bin/inkscape /Applications/Inkscape).
Why is MacPorts compiling everything?
The ability to use pre-compiled packages depends on the default installation path (/opt/local/bin) and MacPorts being configured to use binary packages if available. Both things are taken care of for you when using the *.pkg installers. Consult the MacPorts documentation for more info.
Why does Inkscape look like a Windows 95 app?
What you're seeing is the default GTK theme/engine. You can change the theme, e.g.
sudo port install gtk2-aurora
sudo port install gtk-chtheme
gtk-chthemeand the next time you run Inkscape, it should have a different look.
