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In fact, I read the following document:

Applications can contain a helper application as a full application bundle, stored inside the main application bundle in the Contents/Library/LoginItems directory. Set either the LSUIElement or LSBackgroundOnly key in the Info.plist file of the helper application’s bundle.

I don't quite understand it, anyone knows how to do?

and also, what does this mean:

Note: Before calling the SMLoginItemSetEnabled function, first register with Launch Services by calling the LSRegisterURL function with the URL for the helper application bundle.

is there any example about how to use LSRegisterURL and SMLoginItemSetEnabled?

disorderdev
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    I was really stuck with this, and then found this walkthrough: http://blog.timschroeder.net/2012/07/03/the-launch-at-login-sandbox-project/ Really helped me no end. – Dom Vinyard Nov 04 '12 at 12:52
  • possible duplicate of [Mac OS X: start on launch while in app store?](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/11536477/mac-os-x-start-on-launch-while-in-app-store) – Keith Smiley Jan 13 '15 at 21:47

4 Answers4

10
+ (void)startHelper {
    NSURL *helperURL = [[[NSBundle mainBundle] bundleURL] URLByAppendingPathComponent:@"Contents/Library/LoginItems/YourHelper.app" isDirectory:YES];
    OSStatus status = LSRegisterURL((CFURLRef)helperURL, YES);
    if (status != noErr) {
        NSLog(@"Failed to LSRegisterURL '%@': %jd", helperURL, (intmax_t)status);
    }


    Boolean success = SMLoginItemSetEnabled(CFSTR("com.yourcompany.helper-CFBundleIdentifier-here"), YES);
    if (!success) {
        NSLog(@"Failed to start Helper");
    }
}

Note that the Helper must be packaged with the main app in the "Contents/Library/LoginItems" directory. You will need to create it during the build and copy the helper there.

roustem
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2

I found a handy link:

http://www.delitestudio.com/2011/10/25/start-dockless-apps-at-login-with-app-sandbox-enabled/

EDIT: sadly this link no longer works. Perhaps someone could suggest a better alternative...

It's a good tutorial for doing registering a Login Item in a Sandboxed environment if that's of use (and we'll all need to eventually!). The important thing is that, annoyingly, you have to copy your built, main app to the Applications folder and don't do what I do which is forget to sandbox the helper-app and add a Application is agent (UIElement) row to the helper's plist with TRUE for the value. NSLog and Console is your old-fashioned debugging friend now.

...just have to figure out how to get the helper app to launch the main app when they're both sandboxed..... Edit: Found this question: Cocoa: Sandbox entitlement to launch another application

Community
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Todd
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-1

I've never used LSRegisterURL, I can answer the first question: to set the LSUIElement bit you just simply open the .plist and add the row "Application is agent (UIElement)", then set the value to TRUE.

Manlio
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  • setting LSUIElement to TRUE is creating a helper application? in fact, I don't quite understand what's 'helper application'? where is it? – disorderdev Sep 15 '11 at 23:38
-2

Basically you have to take a look at Launch Services which is just a wrapper around launchd, which you can check out by looking at man launchd in the terminal.

or take a look at this question here at SO How do you make your App open at login?

Community
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GorillaPatch
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  • disorderdev is not the only one in this boat. I find it odd that there is no sample code anywhere found regarding the usage of SMLoginItemSetEnabled. Not in GitHub, not in Google. nada. – Antony Sep 28 '11 at 21:52
  • well there is a couple of sample code in the SO article I referenced in my answer. Have you found the time to take a look at it? – GorillaPatch Sep 30 '11 at 20:17
  • well, man launchd lays out the syntax for running a service in the background, but it doesn't detail much on how you can layout the code in obj-c. On the other hand, the link you provided is actually for Shared File List approach. The [documentation](http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/Chapters/CreatingLoginItems.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/10000172i-SW5-SW1) doesn't detail much if you want to take the service management framework approach. We do want to create a login item that doesn't let user disable directly. – Antony Sep 30 '11 at 21:58