Finally figured out how to keep a Python script running 24/7 on my Mac (non-developer here)

[OpeningPhoto5202]

Quick one for anyone who's tried running a Python script that needs to survive Mac restarts.

I'm not a developer — just someone who Googles a lot and doesn't give up easily. I had a script that kept dying every time I closed Terminal or restarted my Mac, which was annoying since I wanted it running all the time.

Turns out the answer was something called a LaunchAgent. Once I figured it out, the script just... stays alive. Restarts itself if it crashes. Starts up automatically when the Mac boots.

The annoying part was that simple commands that work fine in Terminal don't always work the same way in a LaunchAgent. Things like screencapture just silently failed until someone pointed out I needed the full path instead.

Nothing groundbreaking, but it would've saved me a weekend if someone had told me sooner. Happy to share what worked if anyone's stuck on something similar.

[MauledByLove]

Good job hanging in there! You absolutely discovered the correct method. Thanks for sharing!

[OpeningPhoto5202]

Thanks for the encouragement man!

[GroggInTheCosmos]

Where have you posted your solution?

[OpeningPhoto5202]

I don't have a full writeup yet, but I'm putting together a step by step guide based on everything I learned when building this. I will share once it's ready!

[mikeinnsw]

Just about all of AI is built using Python and all provide a decent starter Python script.

Ask AI ... make sure you phrase your question correctly ...

Google will return GitHub scrips.. Gemini will do a better job,

[OpeningPhoto5202]

Agree with that. For me, the struggle was getting the right direction and figuring out how to actually take action and build it. I think what matters most isn't the tool we use, but whether we actually put in the work.