Introduced in Catalina, RunningBoard now monitors the life cycle of apps, and may manage resources such as memory. Here it’s helping to launch an app through LaunchServices.
launchd
Since 2005, macOS has had the master launcher launchd and its LaunchAgents and LaunchDaemons. Then in 2014 Apple added Duet Activity Scheduler to run tasks when conditions are suitable.
periodic has been removed from Sequoia. AI doesn’t appear to activate in macOS 15.1 VMs, and they may get a surprise update intended for M4 Macs.
What can you do when your Time Machine backups stop running regularly? Or another background activity has gone missing?
Login and Background Items are increasingly common, and can cause all sorts of problems. Diagnosing and fixing them is better in Ventura.
launchd, LaunchServices, RunningBoard, TCC, CFPrefsd, and other macOS services that manage and control your apps.
Current apps may need to install helper files in the main Library folder for Background Items. Ventura’s new scheme keeps everything in the app bundle.
Login Items can cause many unwanted notifications when you log in. Here’s how to gain control over them, including use of an undocumented command tool.
While macOS uses DAS-CTS to schedule hundreds of background activities, third-parties normally use launchd. Comes with a full diagram explaining DAS-CTS.
How macOS schedules tasks like making automatic Time Machine backups, from property list to transactions between DAS and CTS.
The Eclectic Light Company 