_{Interchangeably, extension, and plug-in (or plugin), are used to signify an application or system extension, i.e. an .appex bundle.}

^{To distinguish a filename-extension, filename-extension (or file-extension) is the preferred term.}

PluginKits

Open-source macOS extension management.

Edit Sep25: FYI if you need to register or re-register, a system extension, you can always drag/drop its .appex in the sidebar's bottom 'UTI informations' box, which for .appex will manually register it.

Features

QuickLook Extension Management

• Conflict Detection: Automatically identifies UTI conflicts between competing QuickLook extensions
• Selective Resolution: Choose which extension handles specific file types when conflicts arise
• Extension Details: View comprehensive metadata, identifiers, and paths for all extensions

System-Wide Plugin Registry

• Complete Visibility: Browse all hundreds+ extensions installed on your system

Advanced Controls

• Individual Extension Control: Manage extensions that System Preferences cannot access
• Be careful with what you deregister: An "undo deregister" is present until app is terminated.

Privacy & Security

• Zero Permissions Required: No system permissions, network access, or sensitive data handling
• Network Disabled: Internet connectivity explicitly disabled at the entitlement level

System Requirements

• macOS 13.0 or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac

Installation

Download from Releases.
Choose the Ventura version if macOS < 14.0

Build from source

Xcode project -> Project -> Signing & Capabilities
Select your own "development team", check Bundle Identifier, then:
Clean Project -> Build/Run

Common Use Cases

-resolve Quick Look extensions issues.
-choose which extension Quick Look uses, effective immediatelly.
-inspect and control system extensions: manually add/remove/start/stop any extension, including system's.

100% Swift, no private-APIs, no permissions required.
Universal binaries, Silicon and Intel supports, from macOS Ventura 13.0 to current, hardened and notarized.
Privacy: Nothing is collected, and I chose to explicitey disable outgoing network connections at the entitlements level: enforced by GateKeeper, and user-verificable.

A mac is a mac, and it needs to stay comfortable; but it's stil you mac.¹

Support

Please open an 'issue' here in GitHub..

License

This app is libre/open-source.

---

QuickLook

Fix plugins version conflicts:

This specific tool should fix issue when an older version supercedes a new one.
In the "Extension Conflicts" tab: the tool automatically keeps the latest version and puts it in /Applications.²
You can alternatively manage manually, the important step is deactivating the conflicing versions; the tool goes beyond to ensure it stays like that.
The process is virtually instantaneous, and Quick Look should work immediately.

Fix another extension prevents a different

This helps manage when you want to keep different extensions that handle the same file-extensions, basically it allows swap between the two in one click.

---- I made the app initially to debug Quick Look extensions, and I noticed that we had a lower level access than standard System Settings gave, allowing, e.g., to disable that 'Warda Synthethizer".

Footnotes

1. "A Mac is a Mac and it works. In front of a Macbook Retina you feel comfortable[...]" original quote Rocco Gagliardi, Audit in a OSX System https://www.scip.ch/en/?labs.20150108 ↩

2. A strict workflow: it deactivates duplicates, deregisters all plugins of this operation, zips/backups in temporary directory then puts in the trash the duplicates, move the kept extension in /Applications and finaly re-egister at the n itctivates the extension. ↩

3. Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. _³ ↩