LaunchManager

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AI creates the jobs. You stay in control.

A native macOS app for visually managing launchd tasks, background services, and the automation you build with AI.

AI assistants can write scripts, generate launchd .plist files, and help set up scheduled tasks in minutes. As those automations accumulate, you need a clear view of what they run, when they run, and how to manage them.

LaunchManager brings your LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons into one native interface—so you can inspect what AI created, adjust its configuration, check logs, and decide what stays active.

• Bring AI-generated jobs into view. Import a .plist file or paste XML from your AI assistant.
• Understand and edit your automation. Browse jobs in one place and edit them with a form or XML editor.
• Control what runs. Load, unload, start, and stop jobs, with logs available when something goes wrong.
• Keep automation running independently. Tasks run through macOS launchd, even after you close LaunchManager.

Website: launchmanager.dev · Docs: Help · Templates: launchmanager.dev/templates

!Version !macOS !Swift !License

!LaunchManager main window

Features

Core workflow

• Import / Paste — bring in a .plist or paste XML (including output from an AI assistant)
• Browse & edit — one list for User Agents, System Agents, and LaunchDaemons; edit with Form or XML (extra keys preserved)
• Run control — load, unload, start, and stop jobs; privilege escalation when system scope needs it
• Logs — file-based stdout/stderr and system log (log show) when something fails

Also included

• Search across all scopes; clone a job with a new Label
• Multi-trigger editing: calendar, interval, and WatchPaths in one job
• Invalid plists shown inline with an option to delete
• Services — host TCP listeners and Docker ports published on your Mac; create a Launch Agent from a running service
• Login Items guide — how launchd differs from macOS Login Items
• Bilingual UI (English / Chinese); auto-update check via GitHub Releases
• Templates: launchmanager.dev/templates

Requirements

• macOS 14 Sonoma or later
• Xcode 16 or later (to build from source)

Installation

Homebrew (recommended)

brew tap Sean10000/tap
brew install --cask launchmanager

Direct Download

Download the latest LaunchManager.dmg from Releases. Open the DMG and drag LaunchManager to the Applications folder shown in the window.

First launch: right-click the app → Open (required because this build is not notarized by Apple).

Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/Sean10000/LaunchManager.git
cd LaunchManager
open LaunchManager.xcodeproj

Build and run with Xcode (⌘R).

Usage

1. Select Launch Agents, Login Items, or Services in the sidebar
2. Import a .plist or Paste XML (or create a new job from the New menu)
3. Edit with Form or XML; save and use row actions to load / start / stop
4. Expand a row for details and logs; clone from the row menu when needed
5. On Services, manage local listeners or create a Launch Agent from a running process

Services

The Services sidebar scans TCP ports listening on your Mac (lsof -iTCP -sTCP:LISTEN). It is a local dev-environment view, not network-wide discovery.

What it shows

• TCP services listening on the host (Next.js, Redis, PostgreSQL, etc.)
• Docker / Colima containers whose ports are published on the Mac

What it does not show

• Outbound-only connections (ESTABLISHED where your Mac is the client)
• Services only listening inside a VM/NAS/other machine (unless forwarded to the Mac)
• UDP listeners

Quick check

# Appears in Services only if the Mac is LISTENing on this port
lsof -iTCP:5666 -sTCP:LISTEN -nP
Any socket involving port 5666 (including remote / outbound)
lsof -i :5666

Comparison with Paid Alternatives

| Feature | LaunchManager (Free) | LaunchControl | Lingon Pro 10 | LaunchD Task Scheduler | |---|---|---|---|---| | Price | Free & Open Source | ~$33 | $23.99 | $5.00 | | Distribution | GitHub Direct | Direct / Homebrew | App Store / Direct | App Store | | Browse Agents & Daemons | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Create & Edit jobs (GUI) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Load / Unload / Start / Stop | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Log viewer | ✅ File + System log | ✅ Advanced | ✅ | ✅ | | System Agent / Daemon support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (Pro) | Limited | | Privilege escalation | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | — | | Invalid plist detection | ✅ Inline with delete | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | Local TCP / Docker services view | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | App must stay running | ❌ Not required | ❌ Not required | ⚠️ Required | ❌ Not required | | AI assistant | ❌ | ✅ (7 LLM providers) | ❌ | ❌ | | XML / Expert editor | ✅ Form + XML tabs | ✅ Advanced | ❌ | ❌ | | Open Source | ✅ MIT | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | | macOS requirement | 14 Sonoma+ | 11 Big Sur+ | 14 Sonoma+ | — |

LaunchManager is ideal if you want a free, native, open-source tool for everyday launchd management and local dev service discovery.

For power users needing an in-app AI assistant or advanced XML tooling (syntax highlighting, diff), LaunchControl remains the most feature-complete paid option.

Releasing

1. Add bullets under ## [Unreleased] in CHANGELOG.md as you develop.
2. Run ./scripts/release.sh patch (or minor, major, or an explicit X.Y.Z).
3. GitHub Actions builds the universal DMG, creates the GitHub Release, and updates the Homebrew tap.

./scripts/build-dmg.sh   # → build/LaunchManager.dmg

Version numbers live in Version.xcconfig only — do not edit project.pbxproj by hand.

CI secret: set HOMEBREW_TAP_TOKEN in repo Settings → Secrets (PAT with push access to Sean10000/homebrew-tap).

Project Structure

LaunchManager/
├── Models/          # LaunchItem, drafts, services, trigger rule types
├── Services/        # PlistService, TriggerCompiler, LaunchctlService, ProcessDiscovery, …
├── Store/           # AgentStore, ServiceStore, …
└── Views/           # SwiftUI (AgentList, ServicesList, EditAgentSheet, …)

Star History

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Support

If LaunchManager saved you some time, feel free to buy me a coffee ☕ Americano is better.