Launch Server as a Service

[anthonylavado]

Per user request, we should look at how to launch the server as a service on macOS, before login.

In restart/power outage situations, this would allow the server to start back up without user intervention.

It's been a long time since I've tried to look at anything related to launchd, so this is an opportunity to start.

[ultratiem]

This still applies: https://superuser.com/questions/930389/how-to-start-a-service-using-mac-osxs-launchctl

Creating a script is rather easy. Just need to make the proper files to toss into launchd's folders. If you want Jellyfin to do more than just launch, you'd then need to compile a daemon alongside it.

Though a user can simply add it to Open at Login to accomplish what the scripts will do. Aside from needing to run the actual app bundle.

Another option entirely is to create a modern binary that plugs into macOS's new "Allow in background".

[vgorloff]

Here is what I did. Seems working OK.

1. Create file $HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/XYZJellyfin.plist with contents shown below:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
   <key>Label</key>
   <string>XYZJellyfin</string>
   <key>LimitLoadToSessionType</key>
   <array>
      <string>Aqua</string>
      <string>Background</string>
      <string>LoginWindow</string>
      <string>StandardIO</string>
      <string>System</string>
   </array>
   <key>ProgramArguments</key>
   <array>
      <string>/path/to/portable/binary/goes/here/jellyfin</string>
      <string>--datadir</string>
      <string>/opt/xyz/data</string>
      <string>--configdir</string>
      <string>/opt/xyz/config</string>
      <string>--cachedir</string>
      <string>/opt/xyz/cache</string>
      <string>--logdir</string>
      <string>/opt/xyz/logs</string>
   </array>
   <key>RunAtLoad</key>
   <true/>
   <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
   <dict>
      <key>PATH</key>
      <string>/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin</string>
   </dict>
   <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
   <string>/opt/xyz/Jellyfin</string>
   <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
   <string>/opt/xyz/Jellyfin/stderr.log</string>
   <key>StandardOutPath</key>
   <string>/opt/xyz/Jellyfin/stdout.log</string>
</dict>
</plist>

You may wish to replace XYZ with something useful. But you have to not only rename XYZJellyfin.plist file, but also update Label XML key <string>XYZJellyfin</string>.

2. Bootstrap macOS service: launchctl bootstrap gui/`id -u` $HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/XYZJellyfin.plist

After this your Jellyfin instance should be reachable (as usual) via http://127.0.0.1:8096.

---

To stop service: launchctl kill SIGTERM gui/`id -u`/XYZJellyfin

To restart: launchctl kickstart -k -p gui/`id -u`/XYZJellyfin

To disable macOS service: launchctl bootout gui/`id -u`/XYZJellyfin

To print status: launchctl list | grep XYZ or more detail launchctl list XYZJellyfin

To print even more detailed status: launchctl print gui/`id -u`/XYZJellyfin

---

Using above method you can run multiple instances of Jellyfin (on different HTTP ports). The only issue I see so far: Only one server can have "Client Auto Discovery" feature enabled. Otherwize they will conflict each other. "Client Auto Discovery" feature can be disabled in a network.xml (<AutoDiscovery>false</AutoDiscovery>).