macOS launchd Service Setup

Generate complete launchd service infrastructure for Python applications on macOS.

What This Skill Creates

launchd/
├── install.sh                          # Automated service installer
├── uninstall.sh                        # Service uninstaller
├── {project}.plist.template           # Service configuration
dev.sh                                  # Development mode script
view-logs.sh                           # Log viewing helper

When to Use This Skill

• Web services: FastAPI, Flask apps that should auto-start
• Background services: Daemons, periodic tasks
• Development servers: Local services you want always running

Before Running

Requirements:

• macOS 10.10+ with launchd
• Python project with uv and .venv
• pyproject.toml with [project.scripts] defining a CLI command

Check pyproject.toml:

[project.scripts]
yourapp = "yourapp.cli:main"

IMPORTANT - Replacing Existing Setup:

If the project already has launchd/ directory or existing scripts:

• ALWAYS use the parameters provided by the user
• DO NOT read values from existing files
• The user wants to replace with NEW values, not keep old ones
• Overwrite existing files with the new parameter values

Step-by-Step Process

1. Gather Information from User

Ask the user for these parameters (use AskUserQuestion if needed):

• Domain (e.g., "dev.pborenstein", "com.pborenstein") - Reverse domain notation for service label
  • Default suggestion: dev.{username} (e.g., "dev.philip")
  • Best practice: Use owned domain (e.g., "dev.pborenstein" if you own pborenstein.dev)
• Project name (e.g., "temoa", "apantli") - lowercase, no spaces
• Module name (e.g., "temoa", "apantli") - Python import name
• Port number (e.g., 4001, 4000) - unique port for this service
• CLI command (e.g., "temoa server", "python3 -m apantli.server")
• Dev command (e.g., "temoa server --reload", "python3 -m apantli.server --reload")
• Process name (e.g., "temoa server", "apantli.server") - for detecting running processes

Use these exact values provided by the user - do not infer from existing files.

2. Suggest Defaults from pyproject.toml (Optional)

Only if the user hasn't provided values, you may suggest defaults from pyproject.toml:

# Suggest project name
grep "^name" pyproject.toml

# Suggest CLI command from [project.scripts]
grep -A 5 "\[project.scripts\]" pyproject.toml

But always use what the user explicitly provides.

3. Generate launchd Directory

Create launchd/ directory:

mkdir -p launchd

4. Generate Files from Templates

For each template in skills/macos-launchd-service/templates/, perform substitutions:

Substitution variables:

User-provided parameters (use values from step 1):

• {{DOMAIN}} - Reverse domain notation (e.g., "dev.pborenstein", "com.pborenstein")
• {{PROJECT_NAME}} - Project name (e.g., "temoa")
• {{MODULE_NAME}} - Python module name for import check
• {{PORT}} - Port number
• {{CLI_COMMAND}} - Full CLI command as plist array elements
• {{DEV_COMMAND}} - Development mode command
• {{PROCESS_NAME}} - Process name for pkill/pgrep

Auto-detected variables (these are filled in by install.sh at runtime):

• {{HOME}} - User's home directory
• {{PROJECT_DIR}} - Absolute path to project directory
• {{VENV_PYTHON}} - Path to venv Python interpreter
• {{VENV_BIN}} - Path to venv bin directory

CLI_COMMAND special handling:

Must be converted to plist array format:

Input: "temoa server --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4001"

Output:
        <string>{{VENV_BIN}}/temoa</string>
        <string>server</string>
        <string>--host</string>
        <string>0.0.0.0</string>
        <string>--port</string>
        <string>4001</string>

5. Generated Files

install.sh (from install.sh.template):

• Auto-detects environment (username, paths, venv)
• Validates venv and module are installed
• Generates service plist from template
• Uses launchctl bootstrap to register and start service
• Shows access information and points to ./dev.sh for management

uninstall.sh (from uninstall.sh.template):

• Checks if service exists
• Shows what will be removed
• Asks for confirmation
• Uses launchctl bootout to stop service
• Removes plist file
• Confirms uninstall complete

{project}.plist.template (from service.plist.template):

• Service configuration with substitution placeholders
• Used by install.sh to generate final plist
• Configured with RunAtLoad, KeepAlive for production

dev.sh (from dev.sh.template):

• Subcommands: bare = dev mode, start, stop, status
• Dev mode: stops service, runs with auto-reload, uses caffeinate
• On exit: service stays stopped, no prompt -- prints ./dev.sh start reminder
• Uses modern launchctl bootstrap/bootout (not deprecated load/unload)

view-logs.sh (from view-logs.sh.template):

• Modes: app logs, errors, or all
• Uses tail -f for live viewing
• Logs location: ~/Library/Logs/{project}.log

6. Make Scripts Executable

chmod +x launchd/install.sh
chmod +x launchd/uninstall.sh
chmod +x dev.sh
chmod +x view-logs.sh

7. Provide Next Steps

After generation, tell the user:

✓ Generated launchd service structure

Next steps:
1. Review generated files in launchd/
2. Run: ./launchd/install.sh
3. Access your service at: http://localhost:{PORT}
4. View logs: ./view-logs.sh
5. Development mode: ./dev.sh

Service will auto-start on login and auto-restart on crash.

Manage service:
  ./dev.sh stop     Stop the service
  ./dev.sh start    Start the service
  ./dev.sh status   Show service status
  ./dev.sh          Dev mode (stops service, runs with reload)

Example: temoa

Input parameters:

• Domain: dev.pborenstein
• Project name: temoa
• Module name: temoa
• Port: 4001
• CLI command: temoa server --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4001 --log-level info
• Dev command: temoa server --reload
• Process name: temoa server

Generated CLI_COMMAND for plist:

    <array>
        <string>{{VENV_BIN}}/temoa</string>
        <string>server</string>
        <string>--host</string>
        <string>0.0.0.0</string>
        <string>--port</string>
        <string>4001</string>
        <string>--log-level</string>
        <string>info</string>
    </array>

Implementation Notes

Reading templates:

Templates are in skills/macos-launchd-service/templates/:

• install.sh.template
• uninstall.sh.template
• service.plist.template
• dev.sh.template
• view-logs.sh.template

Writing generated files:

• launchd/install.sh
• launchd/uninstall.sh
• launchd/{PROJECT_NAME}.plist.template
• dev.sh
• view-logs.sh

String substitution:

Simple replace all instances of each {{VARIABLE}} with its value.

CLI_COMMAND conversion:

Split on spaces, wrap each token in <string>TOKEN</string> with proper indentation.

Validation

After generation, verify:

• All 5 files created (install.sh, uninstall.sh, plist.template, dev.sh, view-logs.sh)
• Scripts are executable
• No leftover {{VARIABLES}} in files
• CLI_COMMAND properly formatted as plist array

Common Issues

Port conflicts: Use lsof -i :{PORT} to check if port is available

Module not found: User needs to run uv sync first

Permission errors: Ensure ~/Library/LaunchAgents exists

See Also

• references/usage.md - Detailed usage guide
• Example implementations: temoa, apantli in nahuatl-projects