Script for launching a DMG file

To write an AppleScript, you need to use the Script Editor. This is located in your Applications folder, in a folder called AppleScript.

You can easily mount a disc image using AppleScript, simply by pointing to the location of the image and using the hdiutil command, through a shell script (executes the command in the Terminal).

do shell script "hdiutil mount 'diskimagename.dmg'"

So, in your case, you're mounting the file off a flash drive. So your command might look something like this:

do shell script "hdiutil mount '/Volumes/My Flash Drive/encrypted.dmg'"

You will want to substitute 'My Flash Drive' for the name of your flash drive. If you like, you can insert the flash drive, navigate to the file, ctrl+click (or right-click) the DMG file, select Get Info, and simply copy the 'Where' value under 'General', adding the name of the DMG file on the end.

Your code will probably look a lot like this:

try
do shell script "hdiutil mount '/Volumes/My Flash Drive/encrypted.dmg'"
on error
(* Do nothing. *)
end try

I've used a try with an error handler so that it tries to mount the volume, and if it can't find it (the flash drive isn't plugged in) then it simply does nothing. You could also swap '(* Do nothing. *) for:

display alert "The flash drive isn't plugged in."

if you wish to be warned if the volume isn't available.

I hope this has helped!

Sure thing, although this might take a moment or two to setup once you do there will be no more effort required.

The AppleScript you will need to use is:

repeat
try
do shell script "hdiutil mount '/Users/richard/Desktop/My Flash Drive/encrypted.dmg'"
on error
(* Do nothing. *)
end try
end repeat

The addition of the repeat means that this script will loop in the background only to take effect once the disk image becomes available.

Here's what to do:

1) Copy this AppleScript into the Script Editor.

2) File > Save As... > Change 'File Format' to 'application bundle', and uncheck 'Run Only' and 'Startup Screen', and then check 'Stay Open'. > Save the file somewhere that you can keep it.

3) Quit the Script Editor.

4) Navigate to the folder in which you saved your script application bundle, and ctrl+click (right click) it. Choose 'Show Package Contents'.

5) In the Contents folder, there will be a file called Info.plist. Open this file using TextEdit.

6) Scroll to the very bottom of the document, and create a new line above:

</dict>
</plist>

7) Paste on to the new line:

<key>LSUIElement</key>
<true/>

8) Save this file, and quit TextEdit.

9) Reboot your Mac (this step is essential!).

10) Open System Preferences, navigate to Accounts, select 'Login Items', and then click the + button. Select the script application bundle.

Done! Restart your Mac (again!) for the script to come into effect. Steps 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are all to do with making the script not appear in the Dock when it's running, but if you don't mind seeing the icon constantly you can skip these steps.

This should pretty much work, but there's the slim chance I got something wrong so if this doesn't behave how you expect it to let me know and I'll figure out a fix.

All the best, hope I solved your question.

You mention wanting to launch an IM and Mail app?

You can launch applications in AppleScript very easily, using the tell application to activate command (I'll do a couple of examples):

tell application "Mail" to activate

tell application "Microsoft Messenger" to activate

tell application "Safari" to activate

tell application "Pages" to activate

So, in the context of our script, you could use:

repeat
try
do shell script "hdiutil mount '/Users/richard/Desktop/My Flash Drive/encrypted.dmg'"
on error
set launchApps to "false"
end try
end repeat
if launchApps is not "false" then
tell application "Mail" to activate
tell application "Microsoft Messenger" to activate
tell application "Safari" to activate
tell application "Pages" to activate
end if

This should work, let me know if it doesn't.

All the best!