Hi, I am installing a privileged helper tool binary using *SMJobBless*<https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/samplecode/SMJobBless/Listings/ReadMe_txt.html>that will be used to update my application in background without asking for password.
Now, the problem is, once the helper tool is installed, it keeps getting launched again and again even if it completes its job successfully. I have tried various things to stop it from launching again like making it sleep for at least 15 seconds before quitting; toggling RunAtLoad, KeepAlive/SuccessfulExit keys in its plist but in vain. I have got a way by which it works i.e. setting KeepAlive with PathState<https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man5/launchd.plist.5.html>key in the plist (see below); the launcher program can create a file at pre-determined path so that launchd launches helper tool and helper tool can remove that file before quitting so that launchd doesn’t launch it again. But I am not happy with it as it looks little hacky to me. I would rather call an [NSConnection connectionWithRegisteredName: host:] to launch it but with that the above problem of launching again and again starts occurring. My binary always returns 0. The launchd .plist is as below: <?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"> <key>Label</key> <string>com.ak.SMJobBlessHelper</string> <key>MachServices</key> <dict> <key>com.ak.SMJobBlessHelper.mach</key> <true/> </dict> <key>ProgramArguments</key> <array> <string>/Library/PrivilegedHelperTools/com.ak.SMJobBlessHelper</string> </array> <key>RunAtLoad</key> <true/> </plist> I further tried the below but in vain: 1. Tried to add KeepAlive to false in the plist. 2. Tried to add KeepAlive as a dictionary with the key SuccessfulExit to false. 3. Tried to make my app sleep for occult times before quitting like sleeping for 5 minutes, 10 minutes etc. but it still gets launched again. The one way I have got it to work is by adding “KeepAlive with PathState”: <dict> <key>PathState</key> <dict> <key>/tmp/*helper.txt*</key> <true/> </dict> </dict> So, whenever my launcher creates the “helper.txt” file, launchd launches my binary (com.ak.SMJobBlessHelper) and then my binary deletes “helper.txt” before quitting so that launchd doesn’t launch it again. But I am not sure if it is a good way to do this. More info: This is OSX and it is a LaunchDaemon. I have not tried by removing Mach Services as I use them to launch it on demand. Actually this is a binary used by the updater and not the updater itself. I don’t care about the RunAtLoad value as I want to call it on demand using the mach services – I had put it there initially so that the thing launches right after installation. However, I have tried by removing RunAtLoad but it still does not work and it keeps re-launching. The approaches of StartInterval/StartCalendarInterval are good (that binary automatically starts after some time) but neither of the approaches works for me as I want to launch it on demand (I will have to change my design quite a bit if I want to start using this approach). It would be great if some could tell why it may be happening and if it could be launched on demand and doesn’t keep re-launching. Thanks, Anshul
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