[launchd-dev] Yosemite not starting a system launch agent

[James Bucanek]

Greetings,

Here's my problem in a nutshell:

I have a simple scheduler daemon that runs in the background for logged 
in users. The problem is that it won't start when installed in Yosemite 
(seems to start in all previous versions of OS X that use launchd).

Here's what my program does:

1) I install the com.qrecall.sheduler.plist in /Library/LaunchAgents/ 
(with the correct ownership and access privileges).

2) launchctl load -S Background 
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.qrecall.scheduler.plist
(successful)

3) launchctl start com.qrecall.scheduler
(exits with status 1)

And the scheduler process is NOT started. All attempts to get it started 
through launchctl have failed.

However, I know that it's installed because if you simply restart the 
system the scheduler deamon starts running like a champ.

Now ... I know what you're going to say: "Dude! You should be using the 
new launchctl commands introduced in 10.10!"

Tried that. I can't seem to get anywhere with it. Basically, I don't 
know what I'm doing. I've read the man page for the new launchctl about 
20 times and I'm still not sure how I should be using it.

For per-user agents, it seems pretty obvious that you would bootstrap 
and address the service in the user/login/gui domain (i.e. launchctl 
enable user/501/com.qrecall.scheduler).

But I don't understand how to treat a system-wide user agent that should 
be installed in /Library/LaunchAgents. Through trial and error, I've 
discovered that I can address the current user's instance of the 
scheduler process for commands like "kill". So this command works:

     launchctl kill TERM user/501/com.qrecall.scheduler

It sends a TERM signal and the daemon restarts.

However, I can't find anyway to use the bootstrap command to install it, 
the enable command won't start it, and the kickstart command says 
there's no such service.

It would seem to make sense that a system-wide agent would have to be 
installed in the system domain, but this command:

     sudo launchctl bootstrap system 
/Library/LaunchAgents/com.qrecall.scheduler

results in the error "/Library/LaunchAgents/com.qrecall.scheduler.plist: 
Service cannot load in requested session"

Attempts to use any other domain in the command result in a syntax 
error, so I'm completely stumped as to how the service should be installed.

I've figured out the I can enable and disable the per-user instance, but 
it has no effect on the running process. In other words, disabling won't 
halt the service and enabling it won't start it.

And don't get me started on unbootstrap, which doesn't appear to be 
implemented.

So, at this point I have my feet planted firmly in mid-air...

James Bucanek