Automatically launch and hide mac folding@home console client

[mrfrankmrfrank]

I have been trying desperately for the past couple of days to figure out a way to have the console client launch hidden upon login of mac. I want to do this because a friend of mine is willing to fold on his mac if he doesn't have to do anything and if there is nothing on his screen. I would put the smp installer on his machine, but this does not have the latest client and he would not get bidadv units.

I have downloaded and configured the console client. It works great. I have tried various ways using either an applescript or automator (both of which I barely have any experience with) to have it so when he logs in, the folding@home console client simply launches and starts in the background.

If anyone has any ideas that could help, that would be great.

thanks guys

[iShater]

Did you look at using the Login Items in the accounts preference panel? you can hide items that you launch at login in there.

[mrfrankmrfrank]

I have tried this, (one of the first things I tried upon a google search) I am not sure of specifically why this does not work. I have read various articles suggest that the (hide) function of the login items has been someone broken in later versions of the mac os and I have also read that the hide function of the login items only works for actual "applications" ending in .app. Since the folding@home console client in mac is not an actual .app but more of a ..unix file? according to the info pane, this does not work.

Either way, when adding the folding@home console client to the login items and checking the hide box, the console client opens upon login and displays itself quite proudly on the screen.

[SciFrog]

Search for "crontab -e" and Folding on Google...

[mrfrankmrfrank]

wow, that actually works. I have no idea what cron is and what not, but it's actually working....

Two days of wasted time and google searches. I didn't find anything this simple. Should have posted this question earlier. Thanks guys!

[SciFrog]

Your welcome, behold the power of Unix...

[mrfrankmrfrank]

I'm just saying. I was shocked when I rebooted after setting up the cron and I saw the activity monitor fully folding.

It's perfect. Nothing flashes on the screen, there is nothing to close. This guy wont be able to mess with the folding client simply because it is on the screen.

[twoodcc]

well i'm glad that you got everything working how you wanted!

[iShater]

Are there any good GUI front end for cron?

[twoodcc]

Are there any good GUI front end for cron?

I can't remember off the top of my head, but I'm sure there is one. Just try googling

[iShater]

There are a few out there. Here is one link (http://code.google.com/p/cronnix/)

[twoodcc]

There are a few out there. Here is one link (http://code.google.com/p/cronnix/)

cool. thanks for the link