[launchd-dev] Environment variable usage in LaunchAgents plist files

[Levi Brown]

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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