Avast! For mac... 10.6.... bizarre problem! HELP!

Avast Mac Security
1

My reg’ed copy of avast (latest version) worked fine under 10.5.

I’ve upgraded to 10.6 and expected some software to have bugs or not work until there upgraded, but avast! on my mac has a really annoying one.

Every time I boot up it loads up the avast! Panel thing with SCAN NOW, SCAN volume buttons etc.

But if i try to quit, force quit it automatically reloads the Avast! software panel again! No matter what I do!!!

I guess the next version of mac avast! will fix this but is there a workaround?

HELP!

Anyone! Bueller! Anyone!

2

This is the intended behavior. Open the avast preferences and uncheck “Launch on startup as a persistent application” and you will be able to close the program

3

I’ve tried that. It comes up with the cancel or quit and relaunch window. Regardless if i try to turn it on or off it still loads.

Also it always remains unchecked!? when i try to tick it or untick it.

4

Nope, it must reflect the current state. when it doesn’t accept ticking and remains unticked, then there’s some problem with adding the launchd’s list. you can verify it using launchctl utility (argument list - the relevant file is /Application/avast!.app/Contents/Resources/com.avast.MacAvast.plist)

regards,
pc

5

I have no idea how to use launchctl. tried it from a terminal window to no avil looking at the .plist.

Any idea which command i need to use…

http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/launchctl.1.html

6

I have this same problem with 10.6.1. The Persistent checkbox is always unchecked even though it is in persistent mode. This means you can’t take it out of persistent mode. I also don’t know anything about launchctl. I’m an iMac user right? That means I don’t program and love user friendly!

7

Hall, try this:
go to /applications/avast!.app (ctrl-click, show package contents in finder), then Contents/Resources. Here’s the com.avast.MacAvast.plist. Just edit the file, and change the first from “Enabled” to “Disabled”. Then, reboot the computer.

Btw. avast can be quit any time as any other application, using option+apple+esc “force-quit” dialog. Of course, when launchctl still thinks it’s persistent, it will start it again,. Thus, reboot or reloading (launchctl unload path_to_the_edited_plist or launchctl unload -w path_to_the_original_plist would do the same job) will be necessary here.

regards,
pc

8

It was already set as disabled. I tried setting it to enable saving… reboot and then setting to disabled again … saving…

reboot…

the same. ???

9

can i force it to create a log file or something for you to look at?

10

the problem is unfortunately not at our side, but on MacOS side (where they repeatedly fail to keep compatibility even with their own latest “inventions”).
in this case, it’s launchctl utility that fails to manipulate the plist properly (effect of the former -w switch).

Could you do: launchctl unload <path_to_the_avasts_plist> ?

After this, avast shouldn’t be started again by launchd (launchd is an intended replacement for old good init/cron daemon suite, root of all evil). When doing the same launchctl unload with ‘-w’ switch, nothing is written back to the plist file (as before 10.6), but is stored elsewhere on disc (/private/var/db/launchd.db/com.apple.launchd/overrides.plist).

So, next version will have to use fourth invocation style (not startup items, not login items, not launchd with modified plist, but plist overrides). Developing for MacOS is “fun”
.
regards,
pc

11

Thank you! :smiley:

that worked.

12

Speak to soon :o

I’m able to quit it if i do the launchctl unload command. And it stops it reloading automatically.

Starts autoloading and the same issue of not being able to quit it again on reboot.

bhah… :frowning:

I think i will uninstall it and wait for the next version. I think the probability of getting virus from now to the next release will be quite slim.

13

Hallo,
seems like a bug in 10.6 - launchctl state doesn’t persist, and also, launchctl tries to start app even when in reboot-process.
Similar bug was present in all 10.4 systems, where launchd was unable to track sessions (and was trying to start an application even when its owner was logged out). We’ll have to intruduce another dirty hack, as it seems :(.

regards,
pc