Launchd: One Program to Rule them All

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Google TechTalks

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Published on October 9, 2007 2:07:45 AM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD_s6Fjdri8

Duration: 45:32

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Since time immemorial (or the advent of UNIX--pretty much the same thing), the init program has been the first user-space program to run on Unix-like systems. As systems grew more complex, so did system initialization. The responsibilities of init grew multifold and its implementations diverged. Beginning with the "Tiger" version of Mac OS X, Apple introduced a powerful new way of system initialization: launchd. Launchd isn't just an init replacement though--it provides a powerful XML interface for defining when, where, and how programs should be invoked on OS X. In this talk, Dave, who developed launchd, will discuss the rationale behind launchd and how the program came to be. You will also learn about...