09-21-2009, 10:19 AM

I have created an AppleScript which I intend to run automatically whenever a user logs in.

It must run for each user, as it requires their username to create a folder with their username as its name on an external drive, so running it from the /Library/StartupItems folder is not an option.

Adding it to the System Preferences/Accounts/Login Items is also not viable, since the computers are on a network with over 1000 users, so that would take ages to do on each of the 21 computers.

Is there a way I can get the .scpt or .app file to run during the login process? I have tried creating a logon hook, but that didn't work.

09-21-2009, 04:57 PM

Did you try the login hook in Terminal?

And why didn't that work? Did you get an error message?
If you did...What did it say?

09-22-2009, 03:27 AM

I added the loginhook through terminal, as per the instructions in the following link:
Mac OS X: Creating a login hook

The AppleScript code is:

tell current application
	set userName to do shell script "whoami"
end tell
tell application "Finder"
	--Check that the Safe folder exists
	set drv to "Drive01"
	if not (exists folder (drv & ":Safe")) then
		make new folder at drv with properties {name:("Safe")}
	end if
	set safe to drv & ":Safe"
	set posixSafe to "/Volumes/" & drv & "/Safe"
	tell current application
		do shell script ("chmod 777 " & posixSafe)
	end tell
	--Move other folders on drive to Safe folder
	set folderList to {}
	repeat with currentFolder in disk drv
		--Check name of folder
		if not (get name of currentFolder = "Safe") then
			--Add to move list
			copy name of currentFolder to end of folderList
		end if
	end repeat
	--Get length of list
	set folderLength to length of folderList
	--Cycle through list and move unwanted folders
	repeat with i in folderList
		move folder (drv & ":" & i) to folder (safe)
	end repeat
	--Check that the user folder exists in the safe folder
	if not (exists folder (safe & ":" & userName)) then
		--Create the user folder in drv
		make new folder at drv with properties {name:(userName)}
	else
		--Move the user folder from safe to drv
		move folder (safe & ":" & userName) to folder (drv)
	end if
	if not (userName = "admin") then
		--Set denied permissions on the safe folder
		tell current application
			do shell script ("chmod 770 " & posixSafe)
		end tell
	end if
end tell

There is no error message for the .scpt file when it is set up as a loginhook. Nothing happens to the folders in the drive "Drive01".

The error message for the .app file when used as a loginhook is:

Can't get some object

Which doesn't look like a helpful error message, but if somebody knows what it means I'll be eternally greatful.

09-22-2009, 04:48 AM

I think I have figured it out - the app is being run by the loginhook BEFORE the drive is mounted.

If I can get the .app to autorun when the drive is mounted, that would do what I need it to do, but I hear OS X does not have a built-in autorun feature.

Is there any way to run an app or scpt from the built in hard drive when a USB storage device is mounted?

Or is there any way to mount the drive before the user logs in?

----------------------------------------edit---------------------------------------

I have found out how to mount the USB drive before login at the following url:
Automatically Mount a USB Drive Before Login on Mac OS X

The app now runs in the loginhook without errors, but it is using the root user to create a folder on the drive, instead of the logged-in user.

I'll keep searching for an alternative to the "whoami" command, but I've almost got this sorted out.