- 1 year ago
Best way to schedule script jobs (mostly Python) on Mac in a way similar to Windows Scheduler?
On macOS, you can schedule script jobs, including Python scripts, using the built-in scheduling tool called launchd
. launchd
is a powerful and flexible system for managing and scheduling tasks on macOS. Here's an overview of how you can use launchd
to schedule script jobs on Mac:
Create a
.plist
File: Create a Property List (.plist
) file that describes your scheduled job. This file specifies the details of the job, including the script to run, the schedule, and other parameters. You can use a text editor to create the.plist
file, following the XML structure defined bylaunchd
. Here's an example of a basic.plist
file:xml<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>com.example.myjob</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>/usr/bin/python</string>
<string>/path/to/your/script.py</string>
</array>
<key>RunAtLoad</key>
<true/>
<key>StartCalendarInterval</key>
<dict>
<key>Minute</key>
<integer>0</integer>
<key>Hour</key>
<integer>12</integer>
<key>Weekday</key>
<integer>1</integer>
</dict>
</dict>
</plist>
In this example, the
.plist
file defines a job that runs thescript.py
Python script at 12:00 PM every Monday.Save the
.plist
File: Save the.plist
file with a unique name and the.plist
extension. Place it in the/Library/LaunchDaemons/
directory or the~/Library/LaunchAgents/
directory. The former is system-wide, while the latter is user-specific.Load and Start the Job: Load and start the job using the
launchctl
command. Open the Terminal and run the following command:lualaunchctl load /path/to/your/plist/file.plist
This command loads and starts the job based on the specified
.plist
file. If you placed the.plist
file in the system-wide directory, you may need to run the command withsudo
.Verify and Manage the Job: Use the
launchctl
command to manage and check the status of your scheduled job. For example:- To start a job:
launchctl start com.example.myjob
- To stop a job:
launchctl stop com.example.myjob
- To check the status of all jobs:
launchctl list
- To unload a job:
launchctl unload /path/to/your/plist/file.plist
Adjust the commands according to the label you assigned to your job in the
.plist
file.- To start a job:
By using launchd
and .plist
files, you can schedule and manage script jobs, including Python scripts, on macOS in a way similar to the Windows Task Scheduler. You have control over the schedule, execution parameters, and can easily manage and monitor your jobs.