"Shutdown Items" replacement for OSX

[jmcward]

Hi All,

Is there a way to run an AppleScript just before shutdown? Something
equivalent to the "Shutdown Items" folder in OS 9.x.

I thought I would be able to find the answer to this in about 2 min. but
so far its eluded me.

Any solutions or Ideas.

Thanks for any help.

Jeff

[jpkelly]

26 views and no replies?!?!?!
Is there really no one out there with an answer to this question?

[mervTormel]

there is no "shutdown items" paradigm.

before you shutdown, run your shutdown script

or, don't shutdown.

[jmcward]

I'm running an AppleScript on a server to control the shutdown process.

So, I'm not at the computer when it needs to happen.

[JayBee]

Quote: Originally posted by jmcward I'm running an AppleScript on a server to control the shutdown process.

Could you not just use this AppleScript to run your shutdown items?

Or am I missing the point? Why do you need to shutdown the server anyway, and what are you trying to achieve?

[dsk]

Why don't you set a cron job to run a shell script which launches the AppleScript you want and then shuts down the machine? Say, at midnight each night, run SomeScript, then shutdown. Is this the kind of thing you want, or am I missing the point?

David

[jpkelly]

Yeah i am realizing that a cron job is the way to go.

[jmcward]

Without getting into too much detail, there is a server and a client relationship. The server reports to the clients that the server is shutting down and the client logs off the server when a restart is made. I'm trying to keep it simple and user installable (i.e. easy) and free. I want something like "Shutdown Items" in OS 8-9.x which works perfect.

Any approach to this will work including a small freeware app. that waits for the shutdown process to start and then can run the AppleScript before shutdown has occurred.

It's hard to believe that something that was so simple in OS 9 is such a pain is OS X.

I hope Apple brings back that feature.

[mervTormel]

this is still very unclear. what is shutting down? a server? why is it required that a client shutdown if a server shuts down? if a server shuts down, connected clients don't have much choice, er, any choice.

there was nothing magical about the "shutdown items" folder in pre-OSX. if there were items in there, they would be executed locally, on shutdown.

can you explain more clearly what it is you're trying to accomplish?

[jpkelly]

I am working on a script to remember where all my desktop icons are/were before shutting the machine down and move them to where they were on startup. Specifically my numerous disks which tend to get spread around when the desktop gets cluttered.
Pretty trivial.

There was a script that did this in OS 9 but it is broken in OS X.
Speaking of broken:
I just figured out that the Applescript "position" property of items applies to a finder window only and not the actual desktop. (in OS 9 it applied to both)
Any idea where the icon positions for desktop icons are stored or can be found?

Anyway there is probably a better way to do this.
If it is worth doing at all.
I guess being more organized would reduce the clutter on my desktop.

[JayBee]

edit : oops - should really read posts before I reply to 'em. Disregard, move along. Nothing to see here, no sireee.

[hayne]

I also would like to get more details on what you are trying to do.
Part of the confusion stems from the use of the word "server" which can refer to the machine or to a program (e.g. a database server). If it is the latter, I don't see why that program can't notify its clients on it own. It knows it is shutting down, so it can just tell its clients. If it is the machine which is shutting down, then each program running on that machine will be notified that it is about to be shutdown - this is usually when interactive programs put up a dialog asking if the files should be saved.

[cornelius]

I found a clean way to run programs at shutdown: simply register whatever command you want to execute as a service. A service has a Start and Stop functions. Stop function is executed upon shutdown.

To make your own service: create a directory in /System/Library/StartupItems/ or /Library/StartupItems/; place a file of the same name as the directory there with the following contents:

#!/bin/sh

. /etc/rc.common

StartService ()
        {
         # what to do on boot (can be empty)
        }

StopService ()
        {
         # what to do on shutdown (can be empty)
        }

RunService "$1"

This file has to be executable, i.e. chmod a+x filename. Then create a file by the name StartupParameters.plist with the following contents:

{
  Description     = "Name of your service goes here";
  Provides        = "Whatever your service provides goes here";
  Uses            = "Disks";
}

That's it. You can read more on what those entries in quotes mean here.

This works on my MacBook Pro OSX 10.4.6.

[hayne]

Quote: Originally Posted by cornelius create a directory in /System/Library/StartupItems/ or /Library/StartupItems/

Nobody other than Apple should be putting things under /System/Library
The only correct place for you to put your own startup items is /Library/StartupItems

[cornelius]

Yeah, you're probably right. Use /Library/StartupItems. Also, I forgot parentheses around the last two lines of the last file. It should read

StartupParameters.plist

{
  Description     = "Name of your service goes here";
  Provides        = ("Whatever your service provides goes here");
  Uses            = ("Disks");
}

[notaclone]

Hi Cornelius,

I came across this thread and it got me thinking...(hope you are still subscribed)

A common problem in OSX for artists and font mongers is that the font cache frequently becomes corrupt and they are too <whatever> to empty the cache manually.

Since the system must be rebooted after clearing caches, then the best point at which to schedule this is at shutdown, and executed only monthly for a regular tune up. (I was thinking of attaching a script to Macaroni for scheduling, but they only have an option for at wake, not at shutdown.)

Ideally, the script is invoked monthly after a user chooses shut down, and it asks to clear the font cache, allowing a cancel (otherwise it will proceed after a specific time).

Do you think this is doable?

[gadsden]

I came across this really old thread because I am trying to create a "shutdown item" in 10.6. Does this still apply with 10.6? If yes, can someone put this into laymens terms? I am having a little difficulty understanding some of the instructions, particularly what type of files need to be created and how to make the file executable.

Hoping someone can help!

[Andreas~]

I hope you will find a simple AppleScript app easy to create. Launch 'Script Editor' which you should find in /Applications/AppleScript/. Copy and paste the code in the link below. Hit <Enter> to compile it -- the text should show in different colors, and with no error message. Save it as an Application with just one option selected, "Stay Open".

Modify the code to do what you want at shutdown time, but do not try to launch anything in a shutdown script -- that will either cancel the shutdown process or create chaos. With that proviso see my post at

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....88514&#7088514

[biovizier]

I can't speak for 10.6 but '/private/etc/rc.shutdown.local' works in 10.4 and 10.5 (I believe 'rc.shutdown' worked in 10.4 but not 10.5).

It may or may not be appropriate depending on what sorts of actions are required, and also whether you effectively want a shutdown item or a logout item (this thread is primarily concerned with the former)...

[cwtnospam]

I don't understand where the problem lies here. If you want to run a script and then shutdown, then why can't the script perform the shutdown when it's done?

Am I missing something?