pmtime needs to have AppNap disabled on OSX

[tallpsmith]

PCP on OSX once install shows choppy pmcharts on Laptops, even when plugged into power, because the OSX AppNap feature which is enabled by default seems to want to sleep the pmtime process periodically.

I used to be able to use the "Get Info" action on the pmtime application bundle and disable AppNap, but in OSX Yosemite it doesn't seem to be there any more.

Ideally as part of the OSX packaging, the pmtime/pmchart are effectively marked correctly to disable AppNap.

[natoscott]

Thanks Paul - this may be the way to go ... https://www.ihash.eu/2015/01/disable-app-nap-per-app-os-x-yosemite/

It'd be good to figure how to disable this out-of-the-box ... maybe using these hints:
https://jamfnation.jamfsoftware.com/discussion.html?id=10566

[natoscott]

Hey Paul,

I've put a pcp-3.10.5 prerelease dmg on ftp.pcp.io which is built with the plist key change suggested in the second URL above - lemme know how it goes?

[tallpsmith]

while I can see the PLIST key in there, unfortunately pmtime still shows up with "yes" in the App Nap column in the energy view.. odd. (see attached image)

[natoscott]

Hmm, odd indeed - is it unexpected that pmchart is Yes but pmtime No in that column? (was that changed "by hand"?)

[tallpsmith]

I didn't and can't find out how to change it anymore. No longer shows up in
the application "get info" option like it used to (for any app )
On Wed, 13 May 2015 at 13:42 Nathan Scott notifications@github.com wrote:

Hmm, odd indeed - is it unexpected that pmchart is Yes but pmtime No in
that column? (was that changed "by hand"?)

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
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[natoscott]

Some of the notes I read on the interwebs suggested that the property may be set, but not showing up in some tools ... can you confirm that the problem definitely still happens with that latest dmg?

Thanks Paul.

[pcpemail]

it's definitely running the latest 3.10.5 prerelease thingy.

On 13 May 2015, at 2:32 pm, Nathan Scott notifications@github.com wrote:

Some of the notes I read on the interwebs suggested that the property may be set, but not showing up in some tools ... can you confirm that the problem definitely still happens with that latest dmg?

Thanks Paul.

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Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub #20 (comment).

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[tallpsmith]

posting here some stuff I put on IRC:

There is some discussion that the PLIST key needed is not what we thought:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6641221?start=0&tstart=0

And should be LSAppNapIsDisabled instead of NSAppSleepDisabled however I've tried modifying the pmtime PLIST file to use this key and it does not seem to make any difference.

The only reliabel way so far is to use Terminal to run:

defaults write io.pcp.pmtime NSAppSleepDisabled -bool YES

[natoscott]

Hey Paul,

As discussed on IRC, I've put a pcp-3.10.5-0-prerelease2.dmg below ftp.pcp.io/projects/pcp/download/mac to try out. It has both the install script approach and the alternate plist file update in place, so hopefully this works!

cheers.

[tallpsmith]

I downloaded prerelease2 and installed it, but it's still choppy. I notice too that the property doesn't look 'set' from the terminal, though I'm not clear whether it's supposed to be visible in this way:

[ ~ ]$ defaults read io.pcp.pmtime 2015-06-02 08:28:41.674 defaults[77662:687283] Domain /Users/psmith/Library/Preferences/io.pcp.pmtime does not exist

pmtime still has a Yes in the App Nap column of the Activity Viewer, which is the dreaded sign that it's going to still be affected.

[natoscott]

| /Users/psmith/Library/Preferences/io.pcp.pmtime

... looks user-specific, whereas the plist change we want to be system-wide for all users I guess...?

[tallpsmith]

ideally it should be set system wide I think yes.

I think the error above is just when there is no locally defined preferences yet for that class, and it's ok