- launchd-dev - lists.macosforge.org

Directory Access launching?
by Levi Brown 12 Mar '08

12 Mar '08

Hello all, I have an interesting situation which I thought I might be able to utilize launchd to help me solve, but I could use some expert advice. The idea is pretty simple: I use gnupg. gnupg is used by services I use. gnupg stores all its information in ~/.gnupg unless the gnupg executable is called with a flag to tell it to do otherwise. Since I do not have control of how the executable is referenced by these services, the ~/.gnupg directory is my only choice. Stored inside the ~/.gnupg directory is the public and private keys for signing, en/decrypting, configuration, etc. which is sensitive information and could easily be accessed should my machine be stolen, for instance. I'd like to store the contents of this directory on an encrypted disk image which is automatically attached and detached based on need. So, ideally, there would be a way to have a particular directory be monitored for access, and once accessed, a script could be called to mount the image. After a period of inactivity to this path, the volume could be detached. automount and autofs are intended to do this kind of operation for network volumes an even provide a executable map facility which gives one a hook into the need to mount a directory based on access, however this is "old school" unix compared to the launchd train of thought, and I've not been able to get a solution working with this approach. Is there some configuration key like PathState, or NetworkState which could be used to achieve this goal? Other suggestions? Thanks, Levi

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Environment variable usage in LaunchAgents plist files
by Levi Brown 12 Mar '08

12 Mar '08

Hi All, While trying to understand why my console had log entries every two minutes such as this: 3/4/08 10:40:00 com.apple.launchd[1] (0x102450.cron[9834]) Could not setup Mach task special port 9: (os/kern) no access I decided that perhaps it was time to get rid of my cron jobs in favor of launchd.plist entries. So I set out to convert my crontab entry: */2 * * * * /bin/sh "${HOME}/Library/Automation/checkmail.sh" > /dev/ null 2>&1 into a launchd.plist of equal functionality. I presently have: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd "> <plist version="1.0"> <dict> <key>Label</key> <string>com.lab.checkmail</string> <key>ProgramArguments</key> <array> <string>/bin/sh</string> <string>/Users/labrown/Library/Automation/checkmail.sh</string> </array> <key>StartInterval</key> <integer>120</integer> </dict> </plist> But I'm unsettled by needing to specify a hard-coded path to my script. Notice, in my crontab entry I was able to access HOME, but when I try that in the plist, it is taken literally (without expanding) and causes obvious problems. HOME is set appropriately, and I can verify that by issuing the 'export' command to launchctl. How does one work around this issue? Thanks, Levi

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Documentation Suggestion
by Levi Brown 04 Mar '08

04 Mar '08

Hello all, Reading the man entry for launchd.plist I read this: StartInterval <integer> This optional key causes the job to be started every N seconds. If the system is asleep, the job will be started the next time the computer wakes up. If multiple intervals transpire before the computer is woken, those events will be coalesced into one event upon wake from sleep. Which, if I may suggest so, could be improved to be less ambiguous. Specifically, this does not tell the reader if the job will be started every N seconds, if it is already running or not. Through experimentation I was able to discover that if the job is presently running when the interval expires, no new job will be initiated, and no queuing effect will occur either. This happens to be the behavior / I/ wanted for my purposes, but the documentation is not clear on this matter and there is no mention of a way to allow spawning of multiple jobs should the intervals overlap, etc. Also: LimitLoadToSessionType <string> This configuration file only applies to sessions of the type specified. This key is used in concert with the -S flag to launchctl. Again, through experimentation, I found that the presence of this key would cause launchctl to "not find" the job described in the plist unless the -S flag was specified, which one might consider implied by the documentation, however there is no mention of the treatment of jobs configured with this key on startup. Will it be loaded, or will it be "not found" until some config is changed? Thanks for listening, Levi

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Global Login Items
by Jeremy Reichman 22 Feb '08

22 Feb '08

I realize this is not specifically related to launchd but I was reading Technote 2083 about the following: "Global Login Item A global login item is a login item that is launched when any user logs in. Installing a global login item is roughly equivalent to installing that login item for all users on the system: every time a user logs in, loginwindow launches that user's login items and all global login items. In Mac OS X 10.5 and later you can install a global login item using the shared file lists interface to Launch Services." Questions: A) is there a better list to ask about this? B) can these be installed/managed the way normal login items are, via a plist (loginwindow.plist contains login items in the User Domain) in the Local Domain along with supplying the executables it points to? C) how is this support different in 10.5 vs. the editing of /Library/Preferences/loginwindow.plist, which has been possible in the past? I ask because I have specific needs for Global Login Items (i.e. items run in the user context at login time, often with a GUI, in contrast to LaunchAgents -- which don't work in Tiger -- and the LoginHook). Up until this point, it has been something of a workaround to run them (especially lacking MCX and a directory service), although it could be done. For example: <http://macenterprise.org/content/view/105/77/> Thanks! -- Jeremy

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launchd (257) not building
by Ryan Spaulding 11 Feb '08

11 Feb '08

Hi All, I am trying to build launchd for 10.5.1. I downloaded the source from the following URL: http://www.opensource.apple.com/darwinsource/10.5.1/ Below is the error output from running ./configure then make: mac919:launchd ryans$ make Making all in src cd .. && /bin/sh /Users/ryans/launchd/launchd-257/launchd/missing -- run autoheader rm -f stamp-h1 touch config.h.in cd .. && /bin/sh ./config.status src/config.h config.status: creating src/config.h config.status: src/config.h is unchanged make all-am gcc -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -no-cpp-precomp -F/System/Library/ PrivateFrameworks -Wall -Wextra -Waggregate-return -Wshadow -Wmissing- prototypes -Wmissing-declarations -Werror -D__MigTypeCheck=1 - fvisibility=hidden -Dmig_external=__private_extern__ -I/System/ Library/Frameworks/System.framework/PrivateHeaders -g -O2 -MT launchctl-launchctl.o -MD -MP -MF .deps/launchctl-launchctl.Tpo -c -o launchctl-launchctl.o `test -f 'launchctl.c' || echo './'`launchctl.c In file included from launchctl.c:24: liblaunch_private.h:27:24: error: quarantine.h: No such file or directory In file included from launchctl.c:24: liblaunch_private.h:116: error: syntax error before ‘qtn_proc_t’ cc1: warnings being treated as errors liblaunch_private.h:116: warning: no semicolon at end of struct or union liblaunch_private.h:119: error: syntax error before ‘}’ token launchctl.c:31:35: error: CoreFoundation/CFPriv.h: No such file or directory launchctl.c:74:23: error: bootfiles.h: No such file or directory launchctl.c: In function ‘do_sysversion_sysctl’: launchctl.c:2961: warning: implicit declaration of function ‘_CFCopySystemVersionDictionary’ launchctl.c:2961: warning: assignment makes pointer from integer without a cast launchctl.c:2965: error: ‘_kCFSystemVersionBuildVersionKey’ undeclared (first use in this function) launchctl.c:2965: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once launchctl.c:2965: error: for each function it appears in.) launchctl.c: In function ‘do_application_firewall_magic’: launchctl.c:3030: error: ‘SO_EXECPATH’ undeclared (first use in this function) launchctl.c: In function ‘do_bootroot_magic’: launchctl.c:3090: error: syntax error before ‘kBootRootActiveKey’ make[2]: *** [launchctl-launchctl.o] Error 1 make[1]: *** [all] Error 2 make: *** [all-recursive] Error 1 Should I be downloading from subversion or am I missing something. I have been building launchd under Tiger for a while and have never run into any issues building it. Thank you, Ryan

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LaunchD crashing daemon in 10.5
by Carl Smith 09 Feb '08

09 Feb '08

I have an agent and daemon that I have installed and running on a 10.5 system. The problem I am having is when I do an 'update' the call from 'sudo launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.mycompany.mydaemon.com' my daemon receives a SIGTERM and aborts and the rest of my install procedures fails. My project consists of an agent and a daemon. The plists that I use 'launchctl unload' on live in the following areas: Daemon = /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/ Agent = /Library/LaunchAgents/ I use 'sudo launchctl unload ...' for the daemon and 'launchctl unload ...' for the agent. This 'update' works fine in 10.4 but fails under 10.5. I can install my agent and daemon fine I just can't seem to 'unload' gracefully running in the 10.5 enviroment. Any suggestions or help would greatly be appreciated. Carl

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~/LaunchAgent + KeepAlive=true = Login Jail
by James Bucanek 31 Jan '08

31 Jan '08

Greetings, I have a user launch agent (~/Library/LaunchAgents) that has KeepAlive set to true. The launch agent is a Cocoa application, UIElement=YES. It provides a small status window to the user. I want this application to run all of the time, which is why the KeepAlive property was set. Whenever my application quits, launchd restarts it (as one would expect). The problem is that when the user tries to log out, the agent quits, launchd immediately restarts it, and the user gets a nasty message that the logout/restart/shutdown was canceled by my application. [There's clearly an amusing race condition: Once it's down to the Finder, launchd, my application and maybe one or two other small applications, the system manages to log out by killing my app and launchd before launchd has a chance to restart my application again.] Anyway, is there a workaround for this or do I just have to abandon KeepAlive? -- James Bucanek

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User agent modified file check for all users?
by Galen Sprague 30 Jan '08

30 Jan '08

Hey All, I had a question about creating a User Agent for multiple users in Lingon. Is there a way to set the When:Run it if this file is modified as: ~/Library/Preferences/com.systempreferences.plist instead of /Users/loggedInUser/LibraryPreferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist? It doesn¹t seem to recognize ~/Library This way my terminal command will run if any User¹s com.apple.systempreferences.plist is modified. Thank you very much! Galen Sprague Senior Analyst Technical ..: Apple Systems :.. Marketing IS Staples, Inc. 500 Staples Dr. Framingham, Ma 01702 galen.sprague(a)staples.com :.. 508-253-1374

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LaunchAgents, SecureSocketWithKey, and permissions
by Benjamin Reed 28 Jan '08

28 Jan '08

I've added launchd support to dbus (https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=14259) -- however, I have a problem with permissions if I try to use it on 10.4. On 10.5, it creates the SecureSocketWithKey socket propertly, but on 10.4, it appears I have 2 sockets: 89990228 0 srwx------ 1 ranger wheel 0 Jan 26 14:44 /tmp/launch-Gi7nee/session 89990177 0 srwx------ 1 root wheel 0 Jan 26 14:42 /tmp/launch-xURB7Y/session ...but the one that gets set in the env var while logged in as ranger is the xURB7Y one. On a whim, I thought "hm, maybe I just need to reboot for launchd to grok it properly." On reboot, I've started a shell, and now the environment variable is not set at all. However, an lsof shows that the socket is being held by launchd: $ sudo lsof | grep /session launchd 158 ranger 9u unix 0x39cb220 0t0 /tmp/launch-7woJl9/session ...and ls shows it's owned properly: srwx------ 1 ranger wheel 0 Jan 26 15:09 /tmp/launch-7woJl9/session Any idea what I need to do to make things set up properly? Do I need to set it to KeepAlive or OnDemand=false to make it initialize right, maybe? -- Benjamin Reed a.k.a. Ranger Rick Fink, KDE, and Mac OS X development http://www.racoonfink.com/

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Agent started two different was, two different bootstraps?
by James Bucanek 28 Jan '08

28 Jan '08

Hello again, I've got a persistent oddity. I have a drag-install application that automatically installs a couple of launch agents with configuration plists (in ~/Library/LaunchAgents/). The processes and my GUI Cocoa application all communicate using distributed objects via Mach ports. When the agents get installed the first time, I kick-start them using 'launchctl load ...'. The problem is this: The two launch agents are installed and started using launchctl load (running launchctl as the regular user). The Cocoa application then starts a helper process (using NSTask) which registers a named Mach port. Now at this point, I would think that all four processes should be running in the Auqa bootstrap (the Cocoa application, the agent, and the helper process). But the agent can't see/connect with the Mach port registered by the helper process. The application can see it, connect to it, and does its thing. But when one of the agents attempts to connect with the same helper process, they get an error. Here's the oddity: If I restart the computer things appear to work correctly. When they agents are started automatically as part of the user's login procedure, they all communicate with each other just fine. Am I loading the agents incorrectly? Is this a known problem, or do I have to try to develop a reproducible case and file a bug report?

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