AppleCameraAssistant flooding the log files

[MrChad]

- Mac mini M1, Ventura 13.2 - device without a camera
- "AppleCameraAssistant" is meant to be a long-running background process, started at boot time
- Once per second, "AppleCameraAssistant" crashes and floods launchd.log with messages
- launchd is programmed to restart "AppleCameraAssistant" every second


- Need some help, please, to either
- stop "AppleCameraAssistant" from crashing
- remove "AppleCameraAssistant" altogether
- at least stop launchd from flooding the log

"AppleCameraAssistant" is part of the sealed system and canot be modified
- SIP prohibits to disable / unload it through launchctl
- SSV prohibits changes to the plist file
- have not found a way to stop launchd from logging

Spoiler: launchd.log (repeated once per sec)

...
2023-01-28 10:09:44.791763 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: Service only ran for 0 seconds. Pushing respawn out by 1 seconds.
2023-01-28 10:09:44.791826 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: internal event: WILL_SPAWN, code = 0
2023-01-28 10:09:44.791829 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: service state: spawn scheduled
2023-01-28 10:09:44.791832 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: service throttled by 1 seconds
2023-01-28 10:09:44.791838 (system) <Notice>: removing child: pid/56588
2023-01-28 10:09:45.795147 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: service state: spawning
2023-01-28 10:09:45.795212 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: launching: ipc (mach)
2023-01-28 10:09:45.796804 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: xpcproxy spawned with pid 56589
2023-01-28 10:09:45.796838 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: internal event: SPAWNED, code = 0
2023-01-28 10:09:45.796848 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: service state: xpcproxy
2023-01-28 10:09:45.796857 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: deferred event: domain spawn response: 0
2023-01-28 10:09:45.796869 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: internal event: SOURCE_ATTACH, code = 0
2023-01-28 10:09:45.806753 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: service state: running
2023-01-28 10:09:45.806773 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: internal event: INIT, code = 0
2023-01-28 10:09:45.806813 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: Successfully spawned AppleCameraAssistant[56589] because ipc (mach)
2023-01-28 10:09:45.859385 (pid/56589 [AppleCameraAssi]) <Notice>: uncorking exec source upfront
2023-01-28 10:09:45.859424 (pid/56589 [AppleCameraAssi]) <Notice>: created
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872013 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: exited due to exit(0)
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872029 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: service state: exited
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872035 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: internal event: EXITED, code = 0
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872040 (system) <Notice>: service inactive: com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872062 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant [56589]) <Notice>: service state: not running
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872073 (pid/56589 [AppleCameraAssi]) <Notice>: shutting down
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872080 (pid/56589 [AppleCameraAssi]) <Notice>: cleaning up
2023-01-28 10:09:45.872090 (system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant) <Notice>: Service only ran for 0 seconds. Pushing respawn out by 1 seconds.
...

Spoiler: plist file

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
    <key>Label</key>
    <string>com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant</string>
    <key>MachServices</key>
    <dict>
        <key>com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant</key>
        <true/>
    </dict>
    <key>ProgramArguments</key>
    <array>
        <string>/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreMediaIO.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AppleCamera.plugin/Contents/Resources/AppleCameraAssistant</string>
    </array>
    <key>ThrottleInterval</key>
    <integer>1</integer>
    <key>ProcessType</key>
    <string>Interactive</string>
    <key>LegacyTimers</key>
    <true/>
    <key>UserName</key>
    <string>_cmiodalassistants</string>
    <key>GroupName</key>
    <string>_cmiodalassistants</string>
</dict>
</plist>

 

[hamiltonchua]

I'm experiencing the exact same thing. Were you able to find a fix for this ?

 

[MrChad]

I'm experiencing the exact same thing. Were you able to find a fix for this ?

WhatsApp - or possibly other Electron app.

 

[oscarmeier]

Same issue here (except I'm on a MBA 13-inch with the lid closed). WhatsApp is installed but not running. No other Electron apps running.

What was your solution?

 

[MrChad]

Fully close Whatsapp, de-install and reboot.

 

[bogdanw]

I don't have Ventura installed, but on Monterey, with SIP disabled, com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant can be disabled and the camera still works.

sudo launchctl bootout system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant
sudo launchctl disable system/com.apple.cmio.AppleCameraAssistant