I need to run an application behind the lock screen, e.g., just as Time Machine or Sophos antivirus (and others) can run when the screen is locked.
Specifically, I would like to schedule an application to launch when the computer is asleep and unattended (but not powered off). The plan is to schedule wake via Energy Saver or pmset, and use iCal/Automator to schedule the app launch. The problem I'm encountering is the lock screen (ie System Pref > Security > Require Password). When the lock screen is enabled the application will not launch unattended - a user must enter the password. By way of debugging I have confirmed that disabling lock screen allows the app to launch, but this is not a solution due to the security issues.
Bottom line: Is there a way to schedule an applescript or shell script (perhaps with root privileges) to grant the lock screen access to the password? I'm thinking KeyChain should be able to do this, but I can't figure out how. Or perhaps there are other solutions?
Other details: - I'm running 10.7 and 10.9.