ds-store

What it is and what it does

ds_store is a pure-Python library for reading and modifying macOS Finder .DS_Store files, the hidden metadata files that store folder view settings and file attributes on macOS. Because it's written in pure Python rather than as a native macOS tool, it runs on any platform—Linux, Windows, or macOS—making it useful for build systems, disk image creation, and cross-platform tooling that needs to inspect or manipulate these files without running on a Mac.

The package wraps the binary .DS_Store format (reverse-engineered from public documentation) and exposes it through a Python API. It depends only on mac_alias, another pure-Python library for handling macOS alias records, keeping the dependency chain minimal and portable.

Use it for:

• Examine .DS_Store metadata in disk images or macOS filesystem backups on non-Mac systems
• Automate creation of DMG files with specific Finder view settings during cross-platform build processes
• Parse Finder folder attributes and custom icon positions from .DS_Store files in CI/CD pipelines
• Modify .DS_Store files to reset view preferences or clean up metadata in batch operations

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Read and modify macOS Finder .DS_Store files from Python code on any platform, without requiring macOS.

Yes, if you need to read or modify .DS_Store files outside macOS. Low install friction, no known vulnerabilities, MIT-licensed, actively maintained, and production-stable. The narrow use case (macOS filesystem metadata on non-Mac platforms) makes it essential for its niche but not generally useful otherwise.

Install

ds-store on PyPI

pip install ds-store

uv add ds-store

poetry add ds-store

Installing ds-store

Before you install

Low install friction with a single pure-Python dependency (mac_alias). Actively maintained with recent commits and production-stable status.

License in practice

MIT license permits commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart

pip install ds-store

from ds_store import DSStore

with DSStore.open('path/to/.DS_Store') as ds:
    for entry in ds:
        print(entry.filename)

Verify before relying

• Specific API surface for modifying .DS_Store entries beyond reading them
• Performance characteristics when handling large or complex .DS_Store files
• Compatibility guarantees with different macOS versions' .DS_Store format variants

Package facts

Evidence: ds_store-1.3.3-py3-none-any.whl

Keywords: DS_Store

Tags

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