Questions tagged [launchd]
A system for starting, stopping, and managing automated processes.
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macOS: why only few login elements are in System Preferences
In macOS, under System Preferences / Users / Login Elements there is a list of Login Elements that are started at the startup.
Actually only few elements are listed here. There are many other ...
2
votes
1answer
51 views
Launchd process behavior
just wanted to ask a quick question I can't seem to find a straight answer to. What is normal "launchd" process behavior I should be seeing in Activity Monitor? Right now it is writing GB's of data ...
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0answers
20 views
Setting up a launch daemon without an MDM
I have an install pkg I created that starts a system process named Company
[being the name of where I'm at].
My network admins need a system process to scan for when a device tries to connect via ...
1
vote
2answers
65 views
How to set the python environment for LaunchDaemons
I have installed Python 3 via Homebrew, on my Mojave system, and have it symlinked to /usr/local/bin/python.
I have a LaunchDaemon plist as follows:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!...
1
vote
3answers
51 views
osascript display dialog hangs when screen is off; detect unavailable GUI/display from bash or applescript?
background
I've been working on a backup script that runs occasionally via launchd. When it runs, it prompts me with something like:
osascript -e "display dialog \"Is now a good time to back up?\""
...
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0answers
15 views
How to kill the routined service (temporarily or permanently)?
As per this question, routined is an Apple daemon that introduces some problems in High Sierra onwards: routined wants to use the "Local Items" keychain alert
Experiments with killall over ...
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0answers
21 views
Where installer pulls environment variables from?
While looking over /var/logs/install.log, I've noticed that whenever I install a pkg, the installer first outputs a bunch of detected environment variables. However the env vars it outputs doesn't ...
2
votes
2answers
52 views
What are the various auto launch paths mean in OSX?
I'm trying to track down sneaky apps that launch upon reboot. They are not in System Preferences > Users and Groups > Login items and the in-app preferences for auto starting is disabled too for ...
1
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1answer
47 views
launchctl config file location?
I'm trying to configure a NetBoot image so that a script will automatically launch on the target machine after it boots from the image
I've been using this article as a reference:
https://medium.com/...
3
votes
2answers
107 views
What are the ways in which installed software can negatively impact OSX speed over time?
Applications installed on macOS are not always completely self-contained. Sometimes they write files in multiple locations outside their .app bundle, taking up space that they sometimes occupy even ...
1
vote
1answer
20 views
Monitor Folder Contents with launchd - Including Subfolders?
I want to make a shell script that runs any time the contents of a particular folder on my server are changed. Seems easy enough at first, because launchd has a directive called WatchPaths which ...
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0answers
72 views
One job plist on Launchctl stop working with error: Service could not initialize: 17G5019: xpcproxy + 11472 [1524]
I've a user plist job working on my iMac for latest month, and work fine. But today stop of work.
~/Library/LaunchAgents/multimedia_search.plist
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!...
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0answers
34 views
Invalid error on custom plist
My question is about a custom plist. I'm trying to load the following plist, but I keep getting the "invalid plist error" on macOS Mojave:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE ...
3
votes
2answers
264 views
macOS Mojave - locate not working
I got a MacBook from my work and wanted to use the locate command, but I get the message:
WARNING: The locate database (/var/db/locate.database) does not exist.
To create the database, run the ...
1
vote
0answers
45 views
How can I take a command line tool and program launchd to run it?
I am trying to get Offlineimap to run every 5 minutes with launchd. I do not know why it doesn't work and the log file is not written on the specified location. I am running MacOS Mojave on a 2018 ...
0
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1answer
97 views
Launch daemon not running on boot
I've been following the migration guide for macOS Server and have gotten stuck with the launch .plist for the BIND (named) DNS server. If I name the file the recommended org.isc.named.plist the ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Launch homebrew.mxcl.dnsmasq when NIC becomes available?
I am running homebrew dnsmasq on my Mac.
Dsmasq is configured to only respond to traffic on one NIC (en7).
en7 is a usb-c ethernet adapter.
When this adapter is not active (not plugged in, switch ...
1
vote
1answer
25 views
Triggering Launch Agents for path in sandboxed app using WatchPaths does not work
I am trying to create a user LaunchAgents that will trigger a script when a path managed by a sandbox app will change (in my case, when /Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus3/Data/Library/...
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0answers
33 views
Verify and load mDNSResponder plist file
As mentioned here, in my macbook only chrome is able to resolve any given host but any other application is not able to do it.
As mentioned in the answer, I tried to edit the file and unload/load the ...
1
vote
1answer
55 views
Where does the stderr from launchd go?
launchd items in /Library/LaunchDaemon may redirect stdin/stdout/stderr. E.g. I've got an item that says:
<key>StandardOutPath</key>
<string>/Library/Logs/rnamanagedocker_out....
0
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0answers
31 views
Launch daemon does not run at boot, but will run when loaded by hand
I have a launchd daemon definition
/Library/LaunchDaemons/homebrew.mxcl.docker-machine.plist
which contains:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD ...
0
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0answers
50 views
“Error: 0xFFFEFA0A -67062 code object is not signed at all” when trying to launch docker-machine by LaunchDaemon
I am trying to get Docker installed on macOS High Sierra. I've installed Docker via brew, I can start the docker-machine when logged in as root (sudo -i -u root). But when I use LaunchDaemon the ...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
Running launchd agent not preventing macbook from sleeping
I have an agent/daemon that runs a backup script (I use restic) at 4:05am on a StartCalendarInterval. My understanding is that if a launchd agent is running, that should prevent osx from sleeping. Is ...
1
vote
1answer
41 views
launchd is not passing arguments to my PHP script
I'm having a weird problem. I use launchd to run a bunch of shell scripts that update content on my site. It was working fine when it was just calling scripts normally. But now I made the script a ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
What is the difference between Interval and ThrottleInterval in launchd.plist
I found Interval key in /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.periodic-daily.plist from my MacOS 10.13.6. But I fail to find what Interval is by googling. Even man launchd.plist does not have this ...
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vote
2answers
235 views
Launchd running an Applescript every two hours
I have written a small applescript that I would like to run automatically every 2 hours. I have thus written the following launchd daemon (probably it is an agent):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="...
1
vote
0answers
19 views
How can I use launchd to auto update brew? [duplicate]
I followed the instructions on the page Creating Launch Daemons and Agents and created (as root) my own plist file named com.personal.brew.plist and located in /Library/LaunchDeamons/:
<?xml ...
1
vote
0answers
91 views
macOS Mojave launchd regular interval script - error is always “Found non-key inside <dict> at line 11”
The .plist in question is at the bottom but I can't find a way to run it every 7200 seconds. Checking it produces the same error.
I have tried various versions taken from the StackExchange such as:
...
3
votes
1answer
175 views
How to I stop a launchd script from running on wake
I have a simple launchd script that plays a sound every 30 minutes and it runs out of the user library ~/Library . It doesn't run if my machine is asleep, but does run the last event missed when the ...
3
votes
1answer
365 views
How to or Is that possible to stop mDNSResponder without disable System Integrity Protection?
I have tried the following:
$ sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
$ sudo killall -9 mDNSResponderHelper mDNSResponder
$ sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder....
1
vote
1answer
283 views
Mojave plist error: Path had bad ownership/permissions
I'm trying to mount a fileshare at boot. I copied the plist from a 2012 mini (where it ran fine) to a 2018 mini, both running Mojave. On the new mini I'm getting the error:
Path had bad ownership/...
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vote
0answers
125 views
Auto logout inactive users
My iMac is set up using Parental Controls to limit how long my kids can use it.
When their time is up, they are no longer able to use the iMac. However, their accounts are not logged out, and ...
-3
votes
1answer
358 views
How do I resolve a “Executable not found!” error?
I have upgraded from macOS 10.13.4 to macOS 10.14.1 (18B75) on a Mac mini (Late 2012), and now have one orphan file, and the corresponding Executable not found.
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com....
-1
votes
2answers
245 views
Unable to Locate or update LocateDB Mac OS El Capitain, Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave!
Over the past few operating systems I've been noticing a trend, especially after Apple screwed around with the real and fake "root" user in El Capitan. Most especially, using the locate command. ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
How to run a LaunchAgent that runs a script which causes failures because of System Integrity Protection
After upgrading to Mojave, my rsync based backup script run via a launch agent in ~/Library/LaunchAgents, could no longer read some directories in ~/Library.
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How to prevent the Photos app from launching cloudphotosd, photoanalysisd, etc?
A number of the background services used by the Photos app perform functions I'm not interested in benefitting from (and in some cases, actively do not want). Primarily these are photoanalysisd and ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
Want to launch dnsmasq ony when Thunderbolt Ethernet is active
dnsmasq is installed using homebrew. Currently dnsmasq is spamming my system.log with messages like this:
Sep 26 18:22:46 Laptop com.apple.xpc.launchd[1] (homebrew.mxcl.dnsmasq[14526]): Service ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
What is the best practice for a daemon application running as root that needs access to the GUI? [closed]
I'm porting over a C++/Qt application from Windows. On Windows, the program runs as a service. It's discouraged from programs running as a service to also interact with the user and display GUI ...
3
votes
1answer
111 views
Can I change launchd program arguments based on calendar interval?
I'm trying to run a script (zfssnap.sh) to automate snapshots, but one of the arguments needs to change based on which time entry triggers the script to start. With cron, I would just add a new line ...
1
vote
1answer
725 views
Cannot kill Bitdefender process after uninstalling it, no launch daemons found
Recently, I installed Bitdefender Antivirus. I wanted to remove it after the trial period. After uninstalling it via CCleaner, moving all stuff from Librar, I found there is still an agent up and ...
6
votes
2answers
245 views
Why can an app create daemons on the fly without sudo permission and how to stop it?
First, I come from Linux so there are many things which confuse me such as daemons.
I installed VOX.app and it has some kind of agents and cloud-related processes which can be started automatically. ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
What does launchctl unload actually do?
When running launchctl unload some.plist, what is this command translated to specifically, in terms of UNIX commands, etc.
There is nothing in .plist files that specifies any "command line to run ...
2
votes
1answer
80 views
Cannot load rsync daemon in Sierra. Log shows: “assertion failed: 16G1408: libxpc.dylib”
I'm trying to start rsync --daemon on Sierra (10.12.6), using launchctl. It used to work fine (last time in Mavericks, I think). But now on Sierra, the daemon does not start and grep rsync /var/log/...
2
votes
2answers
215 views
Difference between System and Global Daemons
According to the Launchd Tutorial, there are two places where a daemon can be.
A global daemon located at /Library/LaunchDaemons
A system daemon located at /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
What is the ...
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Run backup script at any time every weekend (using launchd?)
I recently lost configuration of one of my IDEs (deleted it myself, I am very smart). I had a backup but it was a few months old. I have a script to backup all my config and push it to GitHub. I was ...
1
vote
1answer
523 views
Run an AppleScript daily with launchd
I'm trying to run an AppleScript which ejects all drives (from the excellent answer by Monomeeth here) daily at 8 am using launchd. After some searching, I decided the best way to do this was by using ...
0
votes
0answers
21 views
I want to start and stop a network service based on whether the host is receiving udp packets on a particular port
I'm vaguely familiar with launchd and plist files. I've used these (in the distant past) similarly to cron scripts to run stuff periodically. But I understand they can also do "on demand" things.
I ...
1
vote
1answer
78 views
`launchctl export` command not working?
According to the man page of launchctl, there is an export command:
export Export all of the environment variables of launchd for use in a shell eval
statement.
However, when I try to use ...
0
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0answers
51 views
Can a password for an API be secured on a Mac but usable through a script?
I enjoy using launchd, JSON Helper and AppleScript to run hourly pulls for API information I need but I'm required to manually enter an username and password. I don't mind the username as text in the ...
0
votes
1answer
23 views
LaunchAgent loads app but clicking app icon doesn't
I have an issue where I installed an app, the installer completed with no apparent errors, the app launched immediately after installing, but afterward if I click the app icon in /Applications the ...
