---
id: pyobjc-framework-opendirectory
version: "12.2.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pyobjc-framework-OpenDirectory — Wrappers for the framework OpenDirectory on macOS

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 652.7K/mo

## What it is and what it does

This package wraps Apple's OpenDirectory and CFOpenDirectory frameworks for use in Python, allowing macOS applications to interact with the system's directory services. It is part of the PyObjC project and translates Objective-C framework APIs into Python-callable interfaces. The package itself contains no documentation; users must consult Apple's framework documentation and PyObjC's general translation guidelines to understand how to use the underlying APIs.

The package depends on pyobjc-core and pyobjc-framework-Cocoa, which provide the foundational PyObjC infrastructure and the Cocoa framework bindings respectively. It is designed for developers building macOS-native Python applications that need to access directory services—such as user and group information from the local system or network directories. The package supports Python 3.10 through 3.15 and is actively maintained.

Use it for:

- Query macOS directory services to retrieve user and group information for authentication or access control
- Build macOS system utilities that integrate with the OS's native directory infrastructure
- Develop cross-platform Python applications with macOS-specific directory service support
- Access LDAP or other network directory services through macOS's unified directory interface

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides Python bindings to macOS's OpenDirectory and CFOpenDirectory frameworks, enabling directory services access from Python on macOS 10.6 and later.

Yes, if you are developing on macOS and need to access directory services from Python. The package is actively maintained, has no known vulnerabilities, installs with low friction, and carries a permissive MIT license. However, it is macOS-only and requires Python 3.10+; it is not useful on other operating systems. Documentation is minimal—you will need to consult Apple's framework docs and PyObjC guides.

## Install

pip install pyobjc-framework-opendirectory
uv add pyobjc-framework-opendirectory
poetry add pyobjc-framework-opendirectory

## Installing pyobjc-framework-OpenDirectory

Before you install: Low friction installation as a pure-Python wheel. Actively maintained with a recent release (3 days old) and current repository activity. Requires pyobjc-core and pyobjc-framework-Cocoa as runtime dependencies, both part of the same maintained project.

License in practice: MIT license permits use in most contexts without restriction, including commercial and proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

pip install pyobjc-framework-opendirectory

import OpenDirectory
# Access macOS directory services via OpenDirectory framework bindings

Requires macOS 10.6 or later and Python 3.10+; will not function on non-macOS systems.

Verify before relying:

- Specific directory service operations supported (e.g., user lookup, group membership queries, authentication)
- Performance characteristics when querying large directories or network-based directory services
- Compatibility with modern macOS versions beyond the stated 10.6+ baseline

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 652.7K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

macos directory services python, opendir framework bindings, pyobjc opendir wrapper, macos user directory access, ldap directory services python, macos authentication directory, cocoa directory framework, macos-native, directory-services, pyobjc

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