Xamarin MacOS app launch at login

Question

I'm trying to make my Xamarin MacOS App to run at login. Looking around I found only very old topics with no solutions.

Is there any solution available? Is feasible?

My App runs, by default with Administrator Privileges

Thanks

Answer 1

I wrote this article some time ago. It should still be valid https://shamsutdinov.net/2016/09/27/how-to-launch-at-login-your-xamarin-mac-sandboxed-application/

tl;dr;

Your app should run in the sandbox: In your main app add this code

public class StartAtLoginOption
{
    [DllImport("/System/Library/Frameworks/ServiceManagement.framework/ServiceManagement")]
    static extern bool SMLoginItemSetEnabled(IntPtr aId, bool aEnabled);


    public static bool StartAtLogin(bool value)
    {
        CoreFoundation.CFString id = new CoreFoundation.CFString("my.helper.app.bundle.id");
        return SMLoginItemSetEnabled(id.Handle, value);
    }
}

Create a helper app which only runs in background:

Start your main app from the helper app:

public override void DidFinishLaunching(NSNotification notification)
{
    if (!NSWorkspace.SharedWorkspace.RunningApplications.Any(a => a.BundleIdentifier == "my.main.app.bundle.id"))
    {
        var path = new NSString(NSBundle.MainBundle.BundlePath)
            .DeleteLastPathComponent()
            .DeleteLastPathComponent()
            .DeleteLastPathComponent()
            .DeleteLastPathComponent();
        var pathToExecutable = path + @"Contents/MacOS/LoginItemTestMain";

        if (NSWorkspace.SharedWorkspace.LaunchApplication(pathToExecutable)) { }
        else NSWorkspace.SharedWorkspace.LaunchApplication(path);
    }

    NSApplication.SharedApplication.Terminate(this);

}