No more script activity

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Level 1

89 points

No more script activity

I've previously posted on the same issue, and I don't wish to read that scripts only execute at such and such time (which does no longer apply) or that they are unnecessary or that I should verify the processes via terminal or console (which I did). Fact is, as of the latest update to the Lion OS X, my Mac has stopped auto-executing the scripts altogether. If I want to see them executed, I have to force the processes manually - that's the only way! Does anyone else experience this issue? What to think? What to do? Please, advise. Thanks!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7), Lion

Posted on Feb 29, 2012 5:20 AM

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Answer 1

Camelot

Level 9

58,899 points

Feb 29, 2012 4:01 PM in response to dubwisedude

There's no way to answer your question since you don't explain how you're trying to scedule your script launches.

There are many ways to do it. Without knowing which one you're using it's impossible to guess what might be wrong.

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Answer 2

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Feb 29, 2012 4:25 PM in response to Camelot

I don't want to schedule any scripts and don't need to either. As you surely know, they are preset and execute at set times or, if the system is off, at the next opportunity, i.e., the moment I turn the system on and independent of the presets. I came across the post below where someone appears to have the same problem, but the jargon is too complex for me as I am not well-versed in the subtler workings of this computer. Anyway, have a look here:

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/18832/ssh-under-cron-stops-working-in-o s-x-10-7-lion

As I said, ALL scripts have stopped working altogether; none is auto-executed at any time - they only execute if forced manually.

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Answer 3

twtwtw

Level 5

4,948 points

Feb 29, 2012 5:04 PM in response to dubwisedude

Pardon me for putting it this way, but what are you talking about? It's like you've started this conversation in the middle, and I have no idea what the context of it is.

I mean, seriously: you don't want to schedule any scripts and don't need to either. Does that mean your problem is solved, or is that your problem? Or is that just background to some other problem that we're supposed to (but don't) already know?

And just for future reference, I don't really agree with you about the chipmunks. They are an annoyance, but you can't really say they're a cause for concern. Try leaving your sandwiches on the other side of the computer for a day or two; that should solve most everything.

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Answer 4

Feb 29, 2012 6:29 PM in response to twtwtw

The OP is referring to the Daily, Weekly and Monthly scripts. He had posted this same question in the Lion group a week or so ago Execution of maintenance scripts in Lion. Well at least there he started off at least describing what he was talking about

To the OP as long as my system is up it runs the scripts. If it is asleep when it is time for them to run then it runs them when it comes out of sleep. If the system is shutdown then you loose that cycle. It does not schedule them to run after a reboot.

If you're shutting down at night then change the scheduled time to when you have the system up.

regards

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Answer 5

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Mar 1, 2012 5:46 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Sorry, guys, but you are of no help. How can you be so oblivious to the fact that OS X runs the maintenance scripts either at preset times or, if not possible, at the next opportunity. This change has been implemented by Apple since a long time now. What you are speaking about - loosing the maintenance cycle if system is asleep or shut off, blablabla, etc. - are RELICS OF THE PAST I don't want to read about. Please, don't bother me with this again.

My problem remains: since the latest Lion update the system has ceased to auto-execute all maintenance scripts - they run only if forced manually. Prior to the said update (dating from a couple of so weeks ago), scripts have executed fine and as expected under Leopard, Snow Leopard, and pre-update Lion.

Does anyone else experience this issue? Please, advise. Thanks!

The link below may be relevant to the problem and of interest to the nerd, I am at a loss as I don't understand the jargon:

http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/18832/ssh-under-cron-stops-working-in-o s-x-10-7-lion

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Answer 6

Mar 1, 2012 6:28 AM in response to dubwisedude

It is not lost if the system is asleep it will run when the system wakes. If the system is off the cycle is lost.

Again the scripts run on my systems with no modifications. if you're shutting down at night change the times the scripts run to when your system is up.

Mac OS X: About background maintenance tasks

from that page

In Mac OS X v10.6 and later, background maintenance tasks that do not run when the computer is asleep are run after it wakes from sleep mode.

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Answer 7

twtwtw

Level 5

4,948 points

Mar 1, 2012 8:43 AM in response to dubwisedude

Dub, that link you are pointing to refers to cron. cron is a unix utility for for running scripts on schedule - it is deprecated on OS X in favor of launchd, and may no longer be supported.

Unless you've modified your system, maintenance tasks are run by launchd. If they are not running as expected, then something has gone screwy with your system. that's easy enough to check. launch terminal, login to an administrator account, and type sudo launchctl list | grep periodic. after you enter your password you should see:

-	0	com.apple.periodic-weekly
-	0	com.apple.periodic-monthly
-	0	com.apple.periodic-daily

Those indicate that the maintenance jobs are queued to run and ran correctly at last invocation. If you don't see those, or see some number other than 0, post back.

if you're having trouble executing some different maintenance utility using cron, then you should convert it to launchd.

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Answer 8

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Mar 1, 2012 8:57 AM in response to twtwtw

I did and this is what I got:

- 0 com.apple.softwareupdatecheck.periodic

- 0 com.apple.periodic-weekly

- 0 com.apple.periodic-monthly

- 0 com.apple.periodic-daily

So it appears that all is in order. However, the reality is that no script is auto-executed anymore, only when I force it manually, as I did this morning for the daily and monthly maintenance routines. I double-checked once more via terminal (ls -al /var/log/*.out) for script activity prior to today and found only that none have been executed since my last manually forced maintenance on February 21.

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Answer 9

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Mar 1, 2012 8:58 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Frank, tell me something new or at least something that pertains to the issue in question...

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Answer 10

Mar 1, 2012 9:07 AM in response to dubwisedude

I don't know why it is so hard for you to understand how this works. People have been trying to explain it to you in both your old thread on this and in this thread.

If you want to ignore how this works, if you want to chase phantom problems fine have a good day.

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Answer 11

twtwtw

Level 5

4,948 points

Mar 1, 2012 9:08 AM in response to dubwisedude

launchd is generally verbose. when it fails to do what it's supposed to do it reports it in console. are you seeing any error messages from launchd related to the periodic tasks?

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Answer 12

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Mar 1, 2012 9:26 AM in response to twtwtw

tw, what is it exactly that I have to look for in console that would tell us whether or not the scripts were properly executed or not? As far as I could discern, console lists only references to those script activities that I forced (latest forced routines of today: monthly and daily; last weekly routine forced on Febr.21)

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Answer 13

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Mar 1, 2012 9:28 AM in response to Frank Caggiano

Frank, I don't mean any disrespect. It's just that I already know what you are trying to tell me, and it doesn't address my problem.

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Answer 14

dubwisedude Author

Level 1

89 points

Mar 1, 2012 9:53 AM in response to twtwtw

tw, as of Febr. 27 (the earliest entrances listed for launchd in console), I got many messages like that:

12-02-27 9:59:56.829 PM com.apple.launchd: (com.apple.SystemStarter) Failed to count the number of files in "/System/Library/StartupItems": No such file or directory

Does this in any way relate to the issue in question?

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Answer 15

twtwtw

Level 5

4,948 points

Mar 1, 2012 11:14 AM in response to dubwisedude

well, I don't know, but /System/Library/StartupItems is a standard folder that's there by default (and impossible to remove without adminstrative permission). is it really gone? that would mean one of two things:

You've got disk problems - run Disk Utility to check.
You or someone else has been fiddling with your /system folder - all sorts of unpleasant things can result from that.

It would surprise me if that missing folder were the cause ot the problem itself, particularly since launchd is loading the periodic jobs anyway. You might try repairing permissions when you're in disk utility - it might be that the jobs are running but not writing to the log file because of a permissions error. Launchd would certainly tell you if it couldn't run the job for some reason, but it might not report a log-file failure.

you could also do a quick test by putting some random file in /tmp. if it disappears after a few days, periodic-daily is being run as expected.

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