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I want my app to auto start if the user select the option. The methods I have been using is not allowed anymore in sandboxed apps.

I know I have to create a helper to achieve that? Is there a simple tutorial with sample code to active that?

I found this tutorial, but it does not work for me: http://www.delitestudio.com/2011/10/25/start-dockless-apps-at-login-with-app-sandbox-enabled/

It is a pretty standard thing to do, I don't understand why there is no example project available.

UPDATE:

I uploaded a sample project: http://ge.tt/6DntY4K/v/0?c

Tibidabo
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  • Actually I do, but why is it important? – Tibidabo Jul 02 '12 at 14:17
  • Can you provide more information on what didn't work using the tutorial? For example, were there still sandbox restrictions being enforced or were other error messages present? – Kevin Grant Jul 04 '12 at 18:41
  • Well, it doesn't even work when sandboxing is not enabled. It shows as if everything was fine, but nothing is started when I restart computer. – Tibidabo Jul 05 '12 at 05:34
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    possible duplicate of [How to create a helper application for Mac App to start it on user login?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7436318/how-to-create-a-helper-application-for-mac-app-to-start-it-on-user-login) – mmmmmm Jan 07 '13 at 17:22
  • possible duplicate of [Enabling start at login with App Sandbox enabled](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7837152/enabling-start-at-login-with-app-sandbox-enabled) – Thomas Tempelmann Jun 29 '13 at 07:34

3 Answers3

21

You should succeed by using this (disclaimer: my) tutorial, sample project included.

Update: I've now tested the sample project you've uploaded: It works just fine with me, without any modifications, and launch at login succeeds. The only trick is that the AutoStart.app file has to be placed in the /Applications or ~/Applications folder to be launched successfully at login. This is necessary regardless of whether the app is sandboxed or not. However, there's no official documentation on this, I'm afraid.

Tim
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  • Your solution works, mine doesn't on my machine for some reason. Great tutorial, Thanks! – Tibidabo Jul 06 '12 at 14:29
  • This tutorial is awesome. However, is there a way to also add the item to the Login Items for the user in System Preferences? As of right now, its not there. I know that this is possible because I do have a couple other apps from MAS that are able to do this. – Joe Workman Mar 18 '13 at 18:33
  • You can do that by using the (poorly documented) methods inside the LSSharedFileList API, which is part of the Launch Services. However, the API won't work when the app calling it is sandboxed: [With App Sandbox, you cannot create a login item using functions in the LSSharedFileList.h header file.](http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/DesigningYourSandbox/DesigningYourSandbox.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40011183-CH4-SW1) MAS apps doing this will probably not be sandboxed. – Tim Mar 18 '13 at 20:29
  • Those requirements are explained in: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/AppSandboxInDepth/AppSandboxInDepth.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40011183-CH3-SW29 – lhunath May 19 '14 at 20:48
  • @Tim - Your tutorial works for almost all kinds of apps but not all, probably due to an iOS bug. I am creating an app that is a menu bar app only, no windows. So I have to set `Application is Agent` to YES, to get rid of its dock icon. This will prevent the helper from launching the main app. If I set `Application is Agent` to NO, your tutorial works. – Duck Jul 20 '17 at 13:56
  • You've written a helpful article. But I have a short question. Could you please check it? https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47672690/best-practice-to-launch-main-app-from-the-launcher – Nuzhdin Vladimir Dec 06 '17 at 11:04
11

I've just re-done about 100 trial on Tim's tutorial. Finally I made it work. Although I swear it worked when I first time tried it. In my situation is when I switch "Launch at login" to On, I can only see the helper app launched for just one second right after login. Then it was gone. Manually start the app, I saw the switch was turned off.

Here was what I found:

  1. my bundle identifier was already in the list of NSArray *running = [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] runningApplications]
  2. the status of the NSRunningApplication *app (bundle name equal to my app) is: [app isActive] == NO, [app isHidden] == NO, [app isTerminated] = NO

So I made some modification to the code like:

BOOL alreadyRunning = NO;
BOOL isActive = NO; // my modification
NSArray *running = [[NSWorkspace sharedWorkspace] runningApplications];
for (NSRunningApplication *app in running) {

    if ([[app bundleIdentifier] isEqualToString:@"com.mybundleidentifier"]) {
        alreadyRunning = YES;
        isActive = [app isActive]; // my modification
    }
}

if (!alreadyRunning || !isActive) { // my modification
  ....
Duck
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Homer Wang
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1

You could try using the Service Management Framework

http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingLoginItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000172i-SW5-SW1

As referenced from http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Security/Conceptual/AppSandboxDesignGuide/DesigningYourSandbox/DesigningYourSandbox.html ...

To create a login item for your sandboxed app, use the SMLoginItemSetEnabled function (declared in ServiceManagement/SMLoginItem.h) as described in Adding Login Items Using the Service Management Framework in Daemons and Services Programming Guide.

(With App Sandbox, you cannot create a login item using functions in the LSSharedFileList.h header file. For example, you cannot use the function LSSharedFileListInsertItemURL. Nor can you manipulate the state of launch services, such as by using the function LSRegisterURL).

Duck
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Remear
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