[phi]

Hey all,

I would like to schedule the opening and closing of specific applications at specific times.

The reason why I would like to do so is that I use alarm apps like Awaken and Aurora. However, they require that ‘Password while Screen-saver is running’ is disabled. I use a password protected screen-saver to prevent curios colleagues from poking my Mac when I’m out for lunch.

The developers have suggested that I run the specific alarm application when I need to and close it after the alarm has sounded. The password protection for the screen-saver will be enabled when the alarm app is closed. Is there any application that can schedule the alarm app to do so?

I have found apps like MacAT, Lingon & Cronnix. While they can open apps at specific time, I don’t think they can close apps at specific times. Well, at least I don’t know how to.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks guys!

[brokenjago]

You can always dabble in AppleScript.

That should be able to do it for you.

[phi]

Anyone has any ideas?

[phi]

Originally Posted by brokenjago 

You can always dabble in AppleScript.

That should be able to do it for you.

I would think so but I'm not exactly very tech savvy in that regard.

[itai195]

It's not really clear to me what you're asking for. Using AppleScript, you can make an application that does nothing more than close another application. Open /Applications/AppleScript/Script Editor and enter a command like this: tell app "myApp" to quit

Replace myApp with the name of the application you want to close. Go to File > Save As and save the script as an application. Now you can use one of the apps you listed to run your script, and thus close the app, at a specified time.

[brokenjago]

He wants them to close automatically at specific times. So if he's away from the computer, and it's 4.05 PM, he wants X app to quit.

At least I think that's what he wants.

[Mithras]

itai195 nailed it. All you need is an Applescript that reads:

tell app "Foo" to quit

and make it run at the appropraite time. You can do this in iCal, or (my vote) Lingon.

[phi]

Originally Posted by brokenjago 

He wants them to close automatically at specific times. So if he's away from the computer, and it's 4.05 PM, he wants X app to quit.

At least I think that's what he wants.

Thanks for the example, yep that is what I want.

[besson3c]

You can also launch the app via a cronjob, and kill it with a killall (which will allow him to kill processes by name). This seems infinitely easier to me than having to write an Applescript.

[Mithras]

Hmm, but killall is less friendly for Mac Cocoa/Carbon apps, as it just immediately terminates the process, rather than sending a higher-level quit event.

[TETENAL]

Originally Posted by besson3c 

You can also launch the app via a cronjob, and kill it with a killall (which will allow him to kill processes by name). This seems infinitely easier to me than having to write an Applescript.

How hard is

tell application "iTunes" to quit

for you?

[brokenjago]

el oh el.

[itai195]

Originally Posted by TETENAL 

How hard is

tell application "iTunes" to quit

for you?

Apparently it's infinitely more difficult