launchd: macOS daemon
December 2, 2023
Equivalent (or subset) of systemd in Linux, but for Mac. Configured with .plist file in XML format. Specification can be found in the manual page:
$ man launchd.plist
Apple’s support page points to the following directories for configurations:
| Folder | Usage |
|---|---|
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons | Apple-supplied system daemons |
/System/Library/LaunchAgents | Apple-supplied agents that apply to all users on a per-user basis |
/Library/LaunchDaemons | Third-party system daemons |
/Library/LaunchAgents | Third-party agents that apply to all users on a per-user basis |
~/Library/LaunchAgents | Third-party agents that apply only to the logged-in user |
Homebrew has an API to declare services related to a program, which is likely the simplest way to manage installation of third-party manifests.