launchd Auto-Sync Manager

Manage the macOS launchd background agent that automatically syncs dotfiles to GitHub every hour.

What This Skill Does

This skill helps you manage a launchd agent that automatically commits and pushes dotfiles changes to GitHub. You can check status, view logs, start/stop the agent, troubleshoot issues, and manually trigger syncs.

Agent Configuration

Instructions

Step 1: Check Agent Status

When the user asks about auto-sync status, run:

```bash

launchctl list | grep dotfiles

```

If the agent is running, you'll see output like `12345 0 com.user.dotfiles-sync` (PID and label).

Step 2: View Recent Logs

To see what the agent has been doing:

```bash

tail -20 ~/Library/Logs/dotfiles-sync.log

```

Look for commit messages, push results, or error messages.

Step 3: Inspect Configuration (if needed)

View the plist configuration:

```bash

cat ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.dotfiles-sync.plist

```

View the sync script:

```bash

cat /Users/snkrheadz/ghq/github.com/snkrheadz/laptop/scripts/auto-sync.sh

```

Step 4: Start/Stop/Restart Agent

**Stop the agent:**

```bash

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.dotfiles-sync.plist

```

**Start the agent:**

```bash

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.dotfiles-sync.plist

```

**Restart the agent:**

```bash

launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.dotfiles-sync.plist && \

launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.dotfiles-sync.plist

```

Step 5: Manual Sync (optional)

If the user wants to trigger a sync immediately:

```bash

/Users/snkrheadz/ghq/github.com/snkrheadz/laptop/scripts/auto-sync.sh

```

This runs the same script that launchd executes.

Step 6: Validate plist Syntax (troubleshooting)

If the agent isn't loading or behaving correctly:

```bash

plutil -lint ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.user.dotfiles-sync.plist

```

This checks for XML syntax errors.

How the Sync Script Works

1. Changes directory to dotfiles repo

2. Runs `brew bundle dump --force` to update Brewfile

3. Stages all changes with `git add -A`

4. Commits only if there are changes

5. Pushes to remote GitHub repository

Usage Examples

Important Notes