Idea: Remote Actions

[jhein]

Hi,

I need to make sure that a specific application is only running on one of my computers. So when the app launches, I need to quit it on my other computer. I thought about implementing that by abusing dropbox as a message queue system. When the app starts, I create a file with the machine name and then have a macro that executes when that file exists and terminate the app. If anyone has a better idea, I would be happy for suggestions.

However that made me think, wouldn’t built in “remote actions”, that trigger something on another computer, be a great feature for future version? You could also just use the macro syncing feature to send the command to the other machines.

Julian

[iNik]

You're on the right track with the dropbox preference file sync. I've got a somewhat monkey'd out way to sync variables which would get you close to the right place, too. But automating a way to set that macro to set a different variable isn't trivial.

Sync Variables?

I use a certain goofy method to sync variables… I have a while-logged-in/timed macro which is nothing more than a series of actions that set variable values. When I want to populate identical variables in all three of my Macs, I just update that macro and the next time I get on my other Mac, it will get its variables set right up. Only works when I want a variable in common between all computers, but that often is the case. (e.g. an API key for a web service) You could probably use the same met…

[jhein]

Interesting. How do you actually move the variable values to the other machines? Are you writing them to a file that gets synced as well?

[iNik]

I manually edit the action that sets the variables. When the action syncs
and the other computers are logged in, they’ll execute the action. That’s
the challenge with automating it - you can’t automate Keyboard Maestro
macro creation. (Ironically enough)

[ccstone]

@iNik

you can't automate Keyboard Maestro macro creation.

Hey Nik,

Yes, you can. But it's a bit complicated.

-Chris

[iNik]

Only ways I know to do that would be either scripting via the UX or messing with the XML of the macros. Is there a simpler way you know of, or is that it?

[jhein]

It looks like you can use Apple Scripts for that. I might be wrong, though:
http://www.keyboardmaestro.com/documentation/7/scripting.html

[ccstone]

@iNik

messing with the XML

You can save a template of the macro you want to auto-create, change the XML, and import.

Like I said “it's a bit complicated”.

-Chris

[ccstone]

@jhein

I need to make sure that a specific application is only running on one of my computers.

Hey Julian,

You can probably use the shell to ssh into the system in question to test directly if a process is running.

You'll have to enable remote log-in on that system.

I haven't done this in years, so you'll have to have fun with Google to find the right syntax.

Something roughly like this:

ssh user1@server1 ps -a -x -c -o comm | egrep -i "bbedit"

'bbedit' being a stand-in for your process.

Here's a couple of hints to get you started:

http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/unix-linux-execute-command-using-ssh/

-Chris