DESCRIPTION

     launchctl interfaces with launchd to load, unload daemons/agents and gen-
     erally control launchd.  launchctl supports taking subcommands on the
     command line, interactively or even redirected from standard input.
     These commands can be stored in $HOME/.launchd.conf or /etc/launchd.conf
     to be read at the time launchd starts.

SUBCOMMANDS

     load [-wF] paths ...
              Load the specified configuration files or directories of config-
              uration files.

              -w       Remove the disabled key and write the configuration
                       files back out to disk.

              -F       Force the loading of the plist. Ignore the Disabled
                       key.

     unload [-w] paths ...
              Unload the specified configuration files or directories of con-
              figuration files.

              -w       Add the disabled key and write the configuration files
                       back out to disk.

     start joblabels ...
              Start the specified jobs by label.

     stop joblabels ...
              Stop the specified jobs by label. Jobs may restart automatically
              if demand driven.

     list     List all of the jobs loaded into launchd.

     setenv key value
              Set an environmental variable inside of launchd.

     unsetenv key
              Unset an environmental variable inside of launchd.

     getenv key
              Get an environmental variable inside of launchd.

     export   Export all of the environmental variables of launchd for use in
              a shell eval statement.

     getrusage self | children
              Get the resource utilization statistics for launchd or the chil-
              dren of launchd.

     log [level loglevel] [only | mask loglevels...]
              Set the standard out file descriptor to the given path.  launchd

     stderr path
              Set the standard error file descriptor to the given path.
              launchd

     shutdown
              Tell launchd to prepare for shutdown by removing all jobs.

     reloadttys
              Tell launchd to reread /etc/ttys. This option may go away in a
              future release.

     umask [newmask]
              Get or optionally set the umask(2) of launchd.

     help     Print out a quick usage statement.

ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES

     LAUNCHD_SOCKET
              This variable informs launchctl how to find the correct launchd
              to talk to. If it is missing, launchctl will use a built-in
              default.

FILES

     ~/Library/LaunchAgents         Per-user agents provided by the user.
     /Library/LaunchAgents          Per-user agents provided by the adminis-
                                    trator.
     /Library/LaunchDaemons         System wide daemons provided by the admin-
                                    istrator.
     /System/Library/LaunchAgents   Mac OS X Per-user agents.
     /System/Library/LaunchDaemons  Mac OS X System wide daemons.

SEE ALSO

     launchd.plist(5), launchd.conf(5), launchd(8)

Darwin                        September 30, 2004                        Darwin