Install Trigger Client on macOS

Create the install directory, copy the binary and config.ini into it, and mark the executable runnable. launchd will launch it from exactly this path.

sudo mkdir -p /opt/trigger_cl
sudo cp trigger_cl config.ini /opt/trigger_cl/
sudo chmod +x /opt/trigger_cl/trigger_cl
    

Edit config.ini and fill in the [server] section. These two lines are the only required change before first start.

sudo nano /opt/trigger_cl/config.ini

# in section [server] set
ip = trigger.itperfectservice.com
port = 9000
    

Export a per-host key file and print the matching key string. Both are needed to pair this machine with the mobile app.

sudo /opt/trigger_cl/trigger_cl --export-bin /opt/trigger_cl/key.bin
sudo /opt/trigger_cl/trigger_cl --show-key
    

Hand the key material to your phone: the binary file onto the device, the printed string into your account. From now on the phone can issue commands to this host.

1. Copy key.bin to your Android device.
2. In the Trigger mobile app, add it under your account.
3. Save the printed KEY-XXXXXXXXXXXXX string — it identifies this host in the mobile UI.

Write the launchd plist that keeps the binary alive at boot. root:wheel ownership and mode 644 are what launchctl requires before it will load a system daemon.

sudo tee /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.trigger.cl.plist > /dev/null <<'EOF'
<?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>com.trigger.cl</string>

  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
  <array>
    <string>/opt/trigger_cl/trigger_cl</string>
  </array>

  <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
  <string>/opt/trigger_cl</string>

  <key>RunAtLoad</key>
  <true/>

  <key>KeepAlive</key>
  <true/>

  <key>ThrottleInterval</key>
  <integer>10</integer>

  <key>StandardOutPath</key>
  <string>/var/log/trigger_cl.log</string>

  <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
  <string>/var/log/trigger_cl.log</string>
</dict>
</plist>
EOF
sudo chown root:wheel /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.trigger.cl.plist
sudo chmod 644 /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.trigger.cl.plist
    

launchctl bootstrap registers the plist in the system domain and starts the daemon immediately. KeepAlive takes over from there and restarts it if it exits.

sudo launchctl bootstrap system /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.trigger.cl.plist
    

launchctl list shows the loaded label with its PID and last exit status. The log file aggregates stdout and stderr for both normal output and crashes.

sudo launchctl list | grep trigger
sudo tail -f /var/log/trigger_cl.log
    

These three commands cover the whole lifecycle: restart, stop/unload, load/start. launchd has no systemctl restart equivalent — kickstart -k is the idiomatic way to bounce it.

sudo launchctl kickstart -k system/com.trigger.cl   # restart
sudo launchctl bootout   system/com.trigger.cl   # stop & unload
sudo launchctl bootstrap system /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.trigger.cl.plist   # load & start