Questions tagged [services]
OS X Services allow sharing data and capabilities across applications. They are invoked by the user either through the active application menu's "Services" submenu or via keyboard shortcuts, typically to act on the data selected in the currently active application.
249
questions
8
votes
4answers
6k views
Can only run AppleScript from Automator
I have the following AppleScript which toggles the scroll direction on the trackpad:
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.trackpad"
...
0
votes
2answers
57 views
Services menu shows the incorrect name
I made a Service in Automator, but when I was saving mistyped the name. I used Automator to rename the Service, but the incorrect name shows up in my Services menu.
I checked the ~/Library/Services ...
6
votes
1answer
1k views
Remove system default / third-party app 'service' items from OS X context menus?
I'm in the process of replacing OS X's default 'Search with Google' context menu item (found when you right click on text in many apps like Terminal, Notes, or third party ones like the RSS reader ...
7
votes
1answer
263 views
How to change the finder services submenu threshold?
In the finder context menu, there is a list of services at the very bottom. Once this list grows beyond 4, it becomes a submenu instead.
Is there a way to affect this threshold, i. e. have five ...
2
votes
0answers
95 views
Can I capture Spotlight input and use it in another process?
I'd like to capture everything I type into Spotlight and use the text as input for a script, possibly a new instance of a Services workflow.
From that point of course anything is possible; the most ...
6
votes
0answers
2k views
Workflow Services not showing in Service Menu
All of a sudden my Automator services are no longer showing in the Service menu in Mail.
None of them.
All I see is No Service Apply (grayed out).
I know they still work, if I open them in ...
1
vote
1answer
2k views
How do I add a script to the Service menu?
See "How do I automate this repetitive task?" I'm posting here so I can show some screenshots of the work in progress. I'm very new to both StackExchange and also Automator. Don't yet know my way ...
7
votes
5answers
3k views
What is the difference between 'Application' and 'Process' in OS X?
As I increasingly dabble with AppleScript and OS X tweaking in general, I arrive at this question:
What is the difference between these two words in terms of OS X's inner operations - e.g. do some ...
1
vote
0answers
94 views
Is there a way to make OS X Services (from Automator) work in GTK apps?
I’ve written a simple Service using Automator which takes a number in text and adds sales tax to it, replacing the original number, and a companion service which does the reverse.
I wrote these with ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Where Is The “Summarize” Service On OS X Mavericks?
In previous versions of OS X, you could find the Summarize service by highlighting the text you want to summarize, going to the app name menu, click service, and then clicking summarize.
Call me ...
3
votes
1answer
906 views
How does the Summarize Service in OS X work?
I’m quit impressed with the Summarize Service in OS X. But its unclear to me, how the service does the summarising. Could someone please explain this to me?
-1
votes
3answers
94 views
What does Apple monitors on Apples' computers?
The fallowing IP's pop-up some times on netstat (all 4 uses tcp4):
17.167.140.65
17.158.52.58
17.172.232.91
And the most information I could get is that theses IP's belongs to Apple. Anyone knows ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Custom keyboard shortcut not executing service
I have a custom keyboard shortcut created for a finder service to compress selected files.
However despite working once or twice when I first created it, it has no effect now. The service works ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
Automator Get Filename of Selected File
I'm trying to create a Service where I can select an individual file, right click, go to Services and tap Perm Delete using Automator - i.e.:
rm <path>
I've looked around and i just can't find ...
16
votes
1answer
30k views
Select a menu item in AppleScript without using “System Events” in 10.9 Mavericks
I was just answering another question and was reminded of a new "feature" in Mavericks.
I used to have a number of small Automator Services that took no input but did something useful when tied to a ...
2
votes
4answers
3k views
iCloud for Automator and services
Since Mavericks, Automator is now able to store services (.workflow) in iCloud.
The problem is that services are not available in the Services menu or contextual menu (right-click) when I store them ...
6
votes
3answers
12k views
Mavericks Server - nothing enabled, but services still running and logging messages
I have a Mavericks server with ALL services disabled in Server.app in an attempt to figure out what's causing a huge number of log messages. When I check to see what services are running, I see the ...
3
votes
1answer
641 views
Does letting services like PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB and Mysql run all the time eat up battery life and system resources?
I'm a web developer and so I tend to run a lot of server applications on my machine to make local development easier. Right now I use foreman to start the up as needed per project. I do this in the ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Emacs macos keyboard handling problem
I'm looking for "unity-win7" like solution, where I can run cmd+num for activating browser, console, editor etc...
I found Activator and Services in osx, however, I can't use cmd+num because many app ...
2
votes
1answer
5k views
Weird spam message overlay appears on my iPhone's screen (FLASH SMS)
This weird message keeps appearing every few days and it's very irritating. It always contains spam messages that asks me to accept or cancel invitations to random services (weekly jokes, pics etc). ...
3
votes
1answer
232 views
Can I make GIMP work as a MacOS X Service?
I would like to be able to use GIMP as a MacOS X Service. That is, I want to be able to select an image in a document, choose Services->Edit Image in GIMP, bring the image into GIMP, make changes, ...
2
votes
1answer
2k views
Automator service to print a relative path of selected files printing everything twice
I have a service that copy the selected file's paths and put them on the clipboard.
It kinda works, except everything gets printed twice.
The service is like this: Get selected files from Finder > ...
13
votes
6answers
25k views
How can I turn off the gamed service or more generally, any service?
Yeah, bought a Macbook Retina, come from a Linux background where this stuff is usually a question of removing via the package manager.
Anyhow, I don't play games on this, it's purely for business/...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
What do I need to know for setting key combination shortcuts
I am running OS X Mavericks 10.9 and I want to create a new key combination shortcut for, lets say, 'Look Up in Dictionary'. Personally I think CommandShiftD or CommandOptionD would be nice.
When I ...
5
votes
3answers
12k views
Is there any way to seamlessly translate a mail inside Mail.app?
Having recently moved to Germany, I receive tons of German emails.
My current workflow is definitely not efficient: Copy mail contents, goto translate.google.com, paste content..
The ideal solution ...
1
vote
1answer
4k views
AppleScript - “Close tabs to right of current tab” in Safari 7
I have been using the AppleScript below as an Automator service in order to get Safari to close all tabs to the right of the current tab. However I have updated to Mavericks (10.9) and find that this ...
8
votes
2answers
5k views
How to disable/always allow assistive access on Mavericks?
I've been using this script (AppleScript) bound to a global hot key as an Automator Service to open new terminals using a global keyboard shortcut. After upgrade to OS X Mavericks when the ...
39
votes
2answers
86k views
Disable Services in OSX (services.msc)
Is there a Services.msc or ntsysv utility for OSX? I just want to harden my OSX by disabling any unwanted service and it's ports.
2
votes
1answer
1k views
Can I create a service in Automator that will run without having a file selected?
When creating services in automator, the topmost options is "Service receives selected..." Is there a way to create a service that just works on the currently open finder window, without having a file ...
0
votes
3answers
2k views
Run applescript as a service
I have the following applescript bundled as .app (using Platypus) and starting on user logon (12.4 MB for each user)
#!/usr/bin/osascript
-- INICIO DAS FUNCOES EXTRAS
set app_path to path to current ...
0
votes
1answer
694 views
Is it possible to use Apple Push Notification Service only for local network?
I have an apsd process which stands for Apple Push Notification service daemon man_page_on_developers.apple.com (it has a name applepushserviced on osx 10.7 and lower). Is it possible to restrict it ...
6
votes
3answers
14k views
What does lsboxd process do on os x?
My firewall asked me for a connection from lsboxd (module com.apple.ls.boxd, ) to one another computer in my network to the port tcp 548. What does it do? I found that it is a part of sandbox ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
Is it possible to create a user without a home directory?
I want to create a user to run tomcat on my system and was wondering if it is possible to create a user without a home directory like it is possible in linux.
5
votes
2answers
7k views
GUI service manager for OS X?
I am looking for a GUI application, with in icon on the top bar, that can be used to start and stop different services on OS X.
These do not have to be real OS X (launchd) services/daemons, it is ...
2
votes
3answers
2k views
How do I invoke a service using Applescript?
I'm using Circus Ponies NoteBook which doesn't support Applescript methods. It does support creating services that can clip the current selection into a NoteBook page. This allows me to select text ...
1
vote
2answers
4k views
How to get Automator to treat text as RTF?
I am writing a book and trying to add a service to provide syntax highlighting to text selected in Pages with Automator. I have a service accepts selected text and runs it through a shell command (...
3
votes
1answer
113 views
Is there a way to enable “Services” menu for an application?
Almost every OSx Application has a service menú like this:
But I've found that my HipChat for MAC doesn't have. I don't know if there is a setting that will enable this menu or it is something ...
20
votes
7answers
60k views
How to disable Apple Push Notification Service (apsd) which is trying to bypass firewalls
I am using an iMac at work, and the IT security guys are raising issue with the Apple Push Notification Service (apsd) trying to bypass the proxy continually.
I would like to know how I can disable ...
1
vote
1answer
189 views
System Services in Automator won't start
For about a week it occurs that System Services created in Automator suddenly refuse to work.
It happens on all Services, system-wide, i.e.:
Open in Marked in Byword
Create Symlink in Finder
...
0
votes
1answer
322 views
Services on homescreen jailbroken iphone
On my jailbroken iPhone 5 with ios 6.1.2 I sometimes see all kinds of services from applications filling up my homescreen. Most of the times this happens after installing an application. After a ...
1
vote
2answers
107 views
Avoid using command for keyboard shortcuts
I work with a disabled person who uses their communication-aid to control their iMac through keyboard and mouse commands.
I'm setting up keyboard shortcuts to launch applications directly using ...
1
vote
2answers
3k views
How to create Automator Service to change font of selected text?
I'm trying to create a "Service" in Automator that changes the font of the selected text in the frontmost app.
2
votes
1answer
122 views
What does “reveal” do from, e.g., the services menu?
"Reveal" seems to be an alternate action to "open" - except it just opens some random thing that I have no control over. For example, "revealing" a ruby file in the Finder opens Path Finder (the third ...
2
votes
1answer
548 views
Automator service for encrypting or decrypting with openssl
Can I create two Automator services that allow me to encrypt or decrypt files? So I would right click a file and click 'Encrypt', the .txt file would be encrypted to a .enc using openssl:
pass=$(...
2
votes
1answer
3k views
How to pass inputs to a shell script in automator?
I want to pass the filename of the file I rightclicked to a shell script through automator:
# encrypt file.txt to file.enc using 256-bit AES in CBC mode
openssl enc -aes-256-cbc -salt -in file.txt -...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Show all services on right click
Whenever you have more than 4 services, they are put in a dropdown option "Services" on right click instead of just being added to the right click menu itself.
Is this an option somewhere that can be ...
0
votes
2answers
398 views
How can I add a service to Finder to add a movie/track to a VLC playlist?
I am using VLC for playing videos in MacOSX 10.8, the VLC version is 2.0.5, I want a context menu in Finder with option to add a video file to vlc now playing list.
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Set Keystroke for Service from Terminal
I created some services to be used in Finder. Now I wanted to create some keystrokes to call these services. That would be easy in the System Settings, however, I would like to add them from the ...
2
votes
3answers
426 views
Submenu for services
I have written a small application and want to allow other applications to share data with it.
My first idea was to integrate it into the service menu. However, I need dynamically populated submenus ...
4
votes
1answer
2k views
Can't assign keyboard shortcut to service
In OSX 10.8.2, I created a service using Automator and saved it in ~/Library/Services. The service receives selected messages in Mail.app. It shows up in the list of services when I click on the "Mail"...
