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Multiple Bash items Allowed in Background in Login Items

In System Settings>General>LogiLogin Items>Allow in Background there are 3 entries labeled Bash. Each is labeled with, "Item from unidentified developer."



When the Info icons are selected, the same item in the same directory displays (Macintosh HD>bin) with the bash file selected as shown below:



When I perform Get Info, all I learn is that the file was created on 10/20/2023 (today is 11/7) and that it is 1.3 MB.



In a moment of foolishness I tried to execute it. The result was as follows:



I am not a UNIX person. Here are the answers I hope to get"

  1. Is there a way to know where these came from?
  2. How can I tell if these are actually necessary to one of my many apps?
  3. If this file is essential to some process, what will happen if I disable it (or them - they all point to the same place)?
  4. For unneeded items on this list (there's one left over from BlackBerry [BBLaunchAgent.app], which I put in the trash but still appears on the list) how do I remove them from the list?


I would appreciate any help.

MacBook Pro (M1, 2020)

Posted on Nov 7, 2023 1:13 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 8, 2023 5:19 AM

Thanks. That helps but still lots of questions like, as part of the system the very recent creation date seems odd and still would like to know how to remove items from the list that are clearly no longer applicable. I don’t think I used a BlackBerry or had software for it since the beginnings of OS X. Anyway I do appreciate the insight.

5 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 8, 2023 5:19 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks. That helps but still lots of questions like, as part of the system the very recent creation date seems odd and still would like to know how to remove items from the list that are clearly no longer applicable. I don’t think I used a BlackBerry or had software for it since the beginnings of OS X. Anyway I do appreciate the insight.

Nov 8, 2023 12:49 PM in response to MrBillP

Unfortunately the Background Apps feature is broken in its current implementation. A respected contributor who happens to also be a third party developer mentioned this over a year ago when Ventura was released. At the time they told us that Apple doesn't even provide developers any documentation on this Background app feature which was introduced in Ventura, so there is no way for developers to properly develop their apps so they show up correctly. They also said there was no easy way to figure out which third party app was responsible for any entry within the Background Apps section of the System Preferences. IIRC, they also said it was best just to ignore the whole Background Apps section.


A quick search gave me this thread where the third party developer @etresoft made numerous posts, here is the first of their posts in that very long thread:

Perpetual "Background Items Added" -- first @etresoft reply - Apple Community


Here is one of my own responses at the time which kind of summarizes the issue....the user in the following thread had the same issue with "open" like you do with "bash", so my summary applies to your case here as well:

On my Mac I have an app running in the background -- @hwtech summary - Apple Community


You can leave Apple with product feedback here:

Product Feedback - Apple




Nov 7, 2023 5:30 PM in response to MrBillP

bash is a built-in unix shell. Something you installed is making a call to the shell.

Is there a way to know where these came from?

Not normally.

2. How can I tell if these are actually necessary to one of my many apps?

What do you mean by "actually necessary?" The app installed it for some purpose. I doubt it would be for something unnecessary like an update checker.

3. If this file is essential to some process, what will happen if I disable it (or them - they all point to the same place)?

The app may try to fix itself by reinstalling the background item or it may stop functioning.

4. For unneeded items on this list (there's one left over from BlackBerry [BBLaunchAgent.app], which I put in the trash but still appears on the list) how do I remove them from the list?

Things that show up in the "Background Items" list were installed using an installer app. The proper way to remove them is to use the uninstaller provided by the developer. If they're a pathetic developer, their uninstaller might not remove them (they might not even have an uninstaller). If that is the case, look in your user Library/LaunchAgents or the main Library/LaunchAgents or /LaunchDaemons.

Nov 8, 2023 5:29 AM in response to MrBillP

You remove items from that list by uninstalling the software that created them. As I noted, bash is part of the Unix underpinnings. Something you installed is using that shell to do something you asked it to do by installing the software.

It doesn’t matter when you installed the software. Those items were always running in the background and you didn’t care because you didn’t know about them. You should uninstall the software you don’t use anymore, but don’t get overly concerned about something that has always existed.

If you don’t know what they are, look in the folders I noted above. There will be things with names likely containing the company or app.

Multiple Bash items Allowed in Background in Login Items

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