Setting the environment variable using the bash command:
export ELECTRON_NO_UPDATER=1
Does not work on mac OS because the variable is not available for GUI launched apps like bitwarden desktop.
Setting the environment variable to be visible for GUI apps can be accomplished using the command:
launchctl setenv ELECTRON_NO_UPDATER 1
I have mac systems running OS 10.12.6 (Sierra) using Bitwarden build 1.31.3 and setting this variable prevents auto-updating out of functionality.
The problem then becomes, how to get the launchd variable set during boot or login. Apple no longer consults /etc/launchd.conf during boot, which takes away the straight forward approach. A solution I chose of the many offered by the problem solving community on stackoverflow was to use the AppleScript editor to create an app that can be run as a user Login Item.
The one single command required to get the job done is:
do shell script "launchctl setenv ELECTRON_NO_UPDATER 1"
Make sure you save the file as an Application not a script (I called it Bitwarden_No_Update.app). I put the app in the Applications folder along side the Bitwarden app and enabled it as a login item in System Preferences/Users & Groups/Login Items. Done, you’re good to go.
If you want to confirm that the ELECTRON_NO_UPDATER variable is being defined and set to “1”, open terminal and use the command:
launchctl getenv ELECTRON_NO_UPDATER