Use launchd daemon (or launchd agent) instead of deprecated StartupItem for VirtualBox on MacOSX

[sierkb]

VirtualBox on MacOSX uses Startup Items (/Library/StartupItems/) and places files in /Library/StartupItems/VirtualBox .

Startup Items are deprecated since MacOSX 10.4 (and only recommended/allowed for legacy use) in favor of launchd daemons -- even more on MacOSX 10.5 and 10.6 and the forthcoming MacOSX 10.7.

See:

Apple Developer: MacOSX Reference Library: Technical Note TN2083: Daemons and Agents ​http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#technotes/tn2005/tn2083.html

Section "Old Systems and Technology" -> Deprecated Daemonomicon ​http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#technotes/tn2005/tn2083.html#SECOLDDAEMONOMICON

Suggested fix: Don't use a startup item placed in the (deprecated) directory /Library/StartupItems/ .

Instead, use a launchd daemon with a Property List placed in /Library/LaunchDaemons/ or a launchd agent with a Property List placed in /Library/LaunchAgents . For details and differences, see ​http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2083/_index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS10003794-CH1-SECTION2

​http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2083/_index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS10003794-CH1-SUBSECTION2

​http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/technotes/tn2083/_index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/DTS10003794-CH1-SUBSECTION3

Also see in the same document, section "Daemons" ​http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#technotes/tn2005/tn2083.html#SECDAEMONS

Apple Developer: MacOSX Reference Library: System Startup Programming Topics ​http://developer.apple.com/documentation/MacOSX/Conceptual/BPSystemStartup/index.html

With major changes apparently coming for Mac OS X 10.7, this relatively simple fix should be given priority.

[sierkb]

Any progress in this issue?

[sierkb]

Any progress in this issue? Any estimated time of being fixed in the foreseeable future?

[rasur]

+1 to this issue.

The problem I face because of this is that I want to run a headless VM (using VBoxheadless) and this fails since the headless vm is started by launchd which requires (but cannot specify any dependencies on) the VB kexts to be loaded.

The VBox kexts are loaded after the vboxheadless startup has already failed.

[Keri Henare]

StartupItems no longer exist in Mac OS 10.9 Mavericks. StartupItems was deprecated 8 years ago. Host-only adapters (and possibly other functionality) cannot be used in Mac OS 10.9.

Temporary work around: sudo /Library/StartupItems/VirtualBox/VirtualBox start (Must be run after each restart)

[Frank Mehnert]

Thank you for this information!