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Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots

Cover image for Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots

This article is for those looking for a detailed and straightforward guide on installing auto-run scripts when macOS boots.

NOTE

This guide walks you through connecting to a server with the iTerm2 terminal emulator on macOS.

We go into the system under an account with administrator rights and start the terminal emulator.

Now let’s create a script that will contain the scripts required to execute when macOS boots, using the command:

Terminal window
sudo vim /Users/valdemar/Documents/Scripts/run-service.sh
NOTE

In this tutorial, a script called “run-service.sh” is created in the user’s home directory. You can create a script in any convenient place for permanent storage.

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 1

Specify the password for the account and press “Enter”.

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 2

Hit the “i” button to go into edit mode, then add the scripts you need to execute when you boot macOS.

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 3

Now press the “Esc” button to exit edit mode, then type "" and press the “Enter” button to save your changes and exit the editor.

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 4

Let’s enable the execution of the file “run-service.sh” using the command:

Terminal window
sudo chmod +x /Users/valdemar/Documents/Scripts/run-service.sh

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 5

Now you need to use the Cron Task Scheduler to schedule the script to run after the operating system starts up.

Open the task scheduler using the command:

Terminal window
sudo crontab -e

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 6

Hit the “i” button to switch to edit mode, then add a line with the “@reboot” parameter and specify the full path to the previously created script:

Terminal window
@reboot /Users/valdemar/Documents/Scripts/run-service.sh

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 7

Now press the “Esc” button to exit edit mode, then type "" and press the “Enter” button to save your changes and exit the editor.

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots - Step 8

The script will now automatically run when macOS boots, even before the user logs in.


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Is this content AI-generated?

No. Every article on this blog is written by me personally, drawing on decades of hands-on IT experience and a genuine passion for technology.

I use AI tools exclusively to help polish grammar and ensure my technical guidance is as clear as possible. However, the core ideas, strategic insights, and step-by-step solutions are entirely my own, born from real-world work.

Because of this human-and-AI partnership, some detection tools might flag this content. You can be confident, though, that the expertise is authentic. My goal is to share road-tested knowledge you can trust.

Auto-run Scripts when macOS Boots
https://www.heyvaldemar.com/auto-run-scripts-when-macos-boots/
Author
Vladimir Mikhalev
Published at
2021-02-09
License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0