launchd Resource
This page is generated from the Chef Infra Client source code.To suggest a change, edit the launchd.rb file and submit a pull request to the Chef Infra Client repository.
Use the launchd resource to manage system-wide services (daemons) and per-user services (agents) on the macOS platform.
New in Chef Infra Client 12.8.
Syntax
The full syntax for all of the properties that are available to the launchd resource is:
launchd 'name' do
abandon_process_group true, false
associated_bundle_identifiers Array
backup Integer, false
cookbook String
debug true, false
disabled true, false # default value: false
enable_globbing true, false
enable_transactions true, false
environment_variables Hash
exit_timeout Integer
group String, Integer
hard_resource_limits Hash
inetd_compatibility Hash
init_groups true, false
keep_alive true, false, Hash
label String # default value: 'name' unless specified
launch_events Hash
launch_only_once true, false
ld_group String
limit_load_from_hosts Array
limit_load_to_hosts Array
limit_load_to_session_type Array, String
low_priority_io true, false
mach_services Hash
mode String, Integer
nice Integer
on_demand true, false
owner String, Integer
path String
plist_hash Hash
process_type String
program String
program_arguments Array
queue_directories Array
root_directory String
run_at_load true, false
session_type String
sockets Hash
soft_resource_limits Array
source String
standard_error_path String
standard_in_path String
standard_out_path String
start_calendar_interval Hash, Array
start_interval Integer
start_on_mount true, false
throttle_interval Integer
time_out Integer
type String # default value: "daemon"
username String
wait_for_debugger true, false
watch_paths Array
working_directory String
action Symbol # defaults to :create if not specified
end
where:
launchd
is the resource.name
is the name given to the resource block.action
identifies which steps Chef Infra Client will take to bring the node into the desired state.abandon_process_group
,associated_bundle_identifiers
,backup
,cookbook
,debug
,disabled
,enable_globbing
,enable_transactions
,environment_variables
,exit_timeout
,group
,hard_resource_limits
,inetd_compatibility
,init_groups
,keep_alive
,label
,launch_events
,launch_only_once
,ld_group
,limit_load_from_hosts
,limit_load_to_hosts
,limit_load_to_session_type
,low_priority_io
,mach_services
,mode
,nice
,on_demand
,owner
,path
,plist_hash
,process_type
,program
,program_arguments
,queue_directories
,root_directory
,run_at_load
,session_type
,sockets
,soft_resource_limits
,source
,standard_error_path
,standard_in_path
,standard_out_path
,start_calendar_interval
,start_interval
,start_on_mount
,throttle_interval
,time_out
,type
,username
,wait_for_debugger
,watch_paths
, andworking_directory
are the properties available to this resource.
Actions
The launchd resource has the following actions:
:create
- Create a launchd property list. (default)
:create_if_missing
- Create a launchd property list, if it does not already exist.
:delete
- Delete a launchd property list. This will unload a daemon or agent, if loaded.
:disable
- Disable a launchd property list.
:enable
- Create a launchd property list, and then ensure that it is enabled. If a launchd property list already exists, but does not match, updates the property list to match, and then restarts the daemon or agent.
:nothing
- This resource block does not act unless notified by another resource to take action. Once notified, this resource block either runs immediately or is queued up to run at the end of a Chef Infra Client run.
:restart
- Restart a launchd managed daemon or agent.
Properties
The launchd resource has the following properties:
abandon_process_group
- Ruby Type: true, false
If a job dies, all remaining processes with the same process ID may be kept running. Set to true to kill all remaining processes.
associated_bundle_identifiers
- Ruby Type: Array
This optional key indicates which bundles the Login Items Added by Apps panel associates with the helper executable.
backup
- Ruby Type: Integer, false
The number of backups to be kept in
/var/chef/backup
. Set tofalse
to prevent backups from being kept.
cookbook
- Ruby Type: String
The name of the cookbook in which the source files are located.
debug
- Ruby Type: true, false
Sets the log mask to
LOG_DEBUG
for this job.
disabled
- Ruby Type: true, false | Default Value:
false
Hints to
launchctl
to not submit this job to launchd.
enable_globbing
- Ruby Type: true, false
Update program arguments before invocation.
enable_transactions
- Ruby Type: true, false
Track in-progress transactions; if none, then send the
SIGKILL
signal.
environment_variables
- Ruby Type: Hash
Additional environment variables to set before running a job.
exit_timeout
- Ruby Type: Integer
The amount of time (in seconds) launchd waits before sending a
SIGKILL
signal.
group
- Ruby Type: String, Integer
When launchd is run as the root user, this is the corresponding group to run the job as. If the
username
property is specified and this property is not, this value is set to the default group for the user.
hard_resource_limits
- Ruby Type: Hash
A Hash of resource limits to be imposed on a job.
inetd_compatibility
- Ruby Type: Hash
Specifies if a daemon expects to be run as if it were launched from inetd. Set to
wait => true
to pass standard input, output, and error file descriptors. Set towait => false
to call the accept system call on behalf of the job, and then pass standard input, output, and error file descriptors.
init_groups
- Ruby Type: true, false
Specify if
initgroups
is called before running a job.
keep_alive
- Ruby Type: true, false, Hash
Keep a job running continuously (true) or allow demand and conditions on the node to determine if the job keeps running (
false
).New in Chef Client 12.14
label
- Ruby Type: String | Default Value:
The resource block's name
The unique identifier for the job.
launch_events
- Ruby Type: Hash
Specify higher-level event types to be used as launch-on-demand event sources.
New in Chef Infra Client 15.1
launch_only_once
- Ruby Type: true, false
Specify if a job can be run only one time. Set this value to true if a job cannot be restarted without a full machine reboot.
ld_group
- Ruby Type: String
The group name.
limit_load_from_hosts
- Ruby Type: Array
An array of hosts to which this configuration file does not apply, i.e. ‘apply this configuration file to all hosts not specified in this array’.
limit_load_to_hosts
- Ruby Type: Array
An array of hosts to which this configuration file applies.
limit_load_to_session_type
- Ruby Type: Array, String
The session type(s) to which this configuration file applies.
low_priority_io
- Ruby Type: true, false
Specify if the kernel on the node should consider this daemon to be low priority during file system I/O.
mach_services
- Ruby Type: Hash
Specify services to be registered with the bootstrap subsystem.
mode
- Ruby Type: String, Integer
A quoted 3-5 character string that defines the octal mode. For example: ‘755’, ‘0755’, or 00755.
nice
- Ruby Type: Integer
The program scheduling priority value in the range -20 to 19.
on_demand
- Ruby Type: true, false
Keep a job alive. Only applies to macOS version 10.4 (and earlier); use
keep_alive
instead for newer versions.
owner
- Ruby Type: String, Integer
A string or ID that identifies the group owner by user name, including fully qualified user names such as
domain_user
oruser@domain
. If this value is not specified, existing owners remain unchanged and new owner assignments use the current user (when necessary).
path
- Ruby Type: String
The path to the directory. Using a fully qualified path is recommended, but is not always required.
plist_hash
- Ruby Type: Hash
A Hash of key value pairs used to create the launchd property list.
New in Chef Client 12.19
process_type
- Ruby Type: String
The intended purpose of the job:
Adaptive
,Background
,Interactive
, orStandard
.
program
- Ruby Type: String
The first argument of
execvp
, typically the file name associated with the file to be executed. This value must be specified ifprogram_arguments
is not specified, and vice-versa.
program_arguments
- Ruby Type: Array
The second argument of
execvp
. If program is not specified, this property must be specified and will be handled as if it were the first argument.
queue_directories
- Ruby Type: Array
An array of non-empty directories which, if any are modified, will cause a job to be started.
root_directory
- Ruby Type: String
chroot
to this directory, and then run the job.
run_at_load
- Ruby Type: true, false
Launch a job once (at the time it is loaded).
session_type
- Ruby Type: String
The type of launchd plist to be created. Possible values: system (default) or user.
sockets
- Ruby Type: Hash
A Hash of on-demand sockets that notify launchd when a job should be run.
soft_resource_limits
- Ruby Type: Array
A Hash of resource limits to be imposed on a job.
source
- Ruby Type: String
The path to the launchd property list.
standard_error_path
- Ruby Type: String
The file to which standard error (
stderr
) is sent.
standard_in_path
- Ruby Type: String
The file to which standard input (
stdin
) is sent.
standard_out_path
- Ruby Type: String
The file to which standard output (
stdout
) is sent.
start_calendar_interval
- Ruby Type: Hash, Array
A Hash (similar to
crontab
) or an Array that defines the calendar frequency at which a job is started. For example:{ Minute => "0", Hour => "20", Day => "*", Weekday => "1-5", Month => "*" }
will run a job at 8:00 PM every day, Monday through Friday, every month of the year.
start_interval
- Ruby Type: Integer
The frequency (in seconds) at which a job is started.
start_on_mount
- Ruby Type: true, false
Start a job every time a file system is mounted.
throttle_interval
- Ruby Type: Integer
The frequency (in seconds) at which jobs are allowed to spawn.
time_out
- Ruby Type: Integer
The amount of time (in seconds) a job may be idle before it times out. If no value is specified, the default timeout value for launchd will be used.
type
- Ruby Type: String | Default Value:
daemon
The type of resource. Possible values: daemon (default), agent.
username
- Ruby Type: String
When launchd is run as the root user, the user to run the job as.
wait_for_debugger
- Ruby Type: true, false
Specify if launchd has a job wait for a debugger to attach before executing code.
watch_paths
- Ruby Type: Array
An array of paths which, if any are modified, will cause a job to be started.
working_directory
- Ruby Type: String
chdir
to this directory, and then run the job.
Common Resource Functionality
Chef resources include common properties, notifications, and resource guards.
Common Properties
The following properties are common to every resource:
compile_time
Ruby Type: true, false | Default Value:
false
Control the phase during which the resource is run on the node. Set to true to run while the resource collection is being built (the
compile phase
). Set to false to run while Chef Infra Client is configuring the node (theconverge phase
).ignore_failure
Ruby Type: true, false, :quiet | Default Value:
false
Continue running a recipe if a resource fails for any reason.
:quiet
will not display the full stack trace and the recipe will continue to run if a resource fails.retries
Ruby Type: Integer | Default Value:
0
The number of attempts to catch exceptions and retry the resource.
retry_delay
Ruby Type: Integer | Default Value:
2
The delay in seconds between retry attempts.
sensitive
Ruby Type: true, false | Default Value:
false
Ensure that sensitive resource data is not logged by Chef Infra Client.
Notifications
notifies
Ruby Type: Symbol, 'Chef::Resource[String]'
A resource may notify another resource to take action when its state changes. Specify a
'resource[name]'
, the:action
that resource should take, and then the:timer
for that action. A resource may notify more than one resource; use anotifies
statement for each resource to be notified.If the referenced resource does not exist, an error is raised. In contrast,
subscribes
will not fail if the source resource is not found.
A timer specifies the point during a Chef Infra Client run at which a notification is run. The following timers are available:
:before
Specifies that the action on a notified resource should be run before processing the resource block in which the notification is located.
:delayed
Default. Specifies that a notification should be queued up, and then executed at the end of a Chef Infra Client run.
:immediate
,:immediately
Specifies that a notification should be run immediately, for each resource notified.
The syntax for notifies
is:
notifies :action, 'resource[name]', :timer
subscribes
Ruby Type: Symbol, 'Chef::Resource[String]'
A resource may listen to another resource, and then take action if the
state of the resource being listened to changes. Specify a
'resource[name]'
, the :action
to be taken, and then the :timer
for
that action.
Note that subscribes
does not apply the specified action to the
resource that it listens to - for example:
file '/etc/nginx/ssl/example.crt' do
mode '0600'
owner 'root'
end
service 'nginx' do
subscribes :reload, 'file[/etc/nginx/ssl/example.crt]', :immediately
end
In this case the subscribes
property reloads the nginx
service
whenever its certificate file, located under
/etc/nginx/ssl/example.crt
, is updated. subscribes
does not make any
changes to the certificate file itself, it merely listens for a change
to the file, and executes the :reload
action for its resource (in this
example nginx
) when a change is detected.
If the other resource does not exist, the subscription will not raise an
error. Contrast this with the stricter semantics of notifies
, which
will raise an error if the other resource does not exist.
A timer specifies the point during a Chef Infra Client run at which a notification is run. The following timers are available:
:before
Specifies that the action on a notified resource should be run before processing the resource block in which the notification is located.
:delayed
Default. Specifies that a notification should be queued up, and then executed at the end of a Chef Infra Client run.
:immediate
,:immediately
Specifies that a notification should be run immediately, for each resource notified.
The syntax for subscribes
is:
subscribes :action, 'resource[name]', :timer
Guards
A guard property can be used to evaluate the state of a node during the execution phase of a Chef Infra Client run. Based on the results of this evaluation, a guard property is then used to tell Chef Infra Client if it should continue executing a resource. A guard property accepts either a string value or a Ruby block value:
- A string is executed as a shell command. If the command returns
0
, the guard is applied. If the command returns any other value, then the guard property is not applied. String guards in a powershell_script run Windows PowerShell commands and may returntrue
in addition to0
. - A block is executed as Ruby code that must return either
true
orfalse
. If the block returnstrue
, the guard property is applied. If the block returnsfalse
, the guard property is not applied.
A guard property is useful for ensuring that a resource is idempotent by allowing that resource to test for the desired state as it is being executed, and then if the desired state is present, for Chef Infra Client to do nothing.
PropertiesThe following properties can be used to define a guard that is evaluated during the execution phase of a Chef Infra Client run:
not_if
Prevent a resource from executing when the condition returns
true
.only_if
Allow a resource to execute only if the condition returns
true
.
Examples
The following examples demonstrate various approaches for using the launchd resource in recipes:
Create a Launch Daemon from a cookbook file
launchd 'com.chef.every15' do
source 'com.chef.every15.plist'
end
Create a Launch Daemon using keys
launchd 'call.mom.weekly' do
program '/Library/scripts/call_mom.sh'
start_calendar_interval 'Weekday' => 7, 'Hourly' => 10
time_out 300
end
Remove a Launch Daemon
launchd 'com.chef.every15' do
action :delete
end