aalex

I simply want to share a recipe with you about how to launch multiple instances of Max via the command line, and also monitor them, to relaunch them in case they unexpectedly quit. I use the Lunch process launcher.

I wrote Lunch a few years ago, when working and the SAT: 

http://code.sat.qc.ca/redmine/projects/lunch/wiki

 - It allows one to launch and monitor applications on a single computer, or on many of them, if using SSH keys. It's an advanced tool created with new media artists in mind. I am happy that it is a free and open source software. It has been successfully tested on OS X and GNU/Linux. It has a user interface on GNU/Linux, but none yet on OS X. It can still be used via the command line on the latter. It's written, and configured, in Python.

To install it on OS X, simply type this in a terminal:

Now, create your lunch script, such as this one: (named ~/launch-project.lunch)

#!/usr/bin/env lunch
# (the Lunch configuration files are actually written in Python)
add_command("open -W -n -a /Applications/Max\ 6.1/Max.app ~/patch_1.maxpat", identifier="max_1", sleep_after=10)
add_command("open -W -n -a /Applications/Max\ 6.1/Max.app ~/patch_2.maxpat", identifier="max_2", sleep_after=10)


The -n flag to the open OS X command allows one to launch many instances of the same app. The -W flag makes the open command wait until the program has quit before returning, which is necessary if you want to launch it with Lunch, otherwise it would relaunch it again and again, thinking it has quit. - Yes, Lunch is a watch dog.

Next, you can create a shell script to launch Lunch with the right Lunch script: (named ~/start-project.command)

Make sure your user have the rights to execute this file:

You might want to create a script to quit Lunch, and your project: (named ~/quit-project.command)

#!/bin/bash
lunch -k ~/launch-project.lunch
for i in 1 2 3
do
     osascript -e 'quit app "Max"'
     sleep 1
done


Make sure your user also have the rights to execute this file:

If you are curious, you can check the log of the Lunch slaves and children:

Finally, double-click the ~/start-project.command and the ~/quit-project.command to start and stop all your Max app instances. Of course, it's possible to use the open command via SSH, or even within the screen command, for advanced command-line fun.

screen -S project ~/start-project.command


I hope you enjoyed this little advanced command-line tutorial. This should help making your artistic installation more sturdy. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. 

Hello everyone,
I simply want to share a recipe with you about how to launch multiple instances of Max via the command line, and also monitor them, to relaunch them in case they unexpectedly quit. I use the Lunch process launcher.

I wrote Lunch a few years ago, when working and the SAT: http://code.sat.qc.ca/redmine/projects/lunch/wiki - It allows one to launch and monitor applications on a single computer, or on many of them, if using SSH keys. It's an advanced tool created with new media artists in mind. I am happy that it is a free and open source software. It has been successfully tested on OS X and GNU/Linux. It has a user interface on GNU/Linux, but none yet on OS X. It can still be used via the command line on the latter. It's written, and configured, in Python.

Next, you can create a shell script to launch Lunch with the right Lunch script:  (named ~/start-project.command)

I hope you enjoyed this little advanced command-line tutorial. This should help making your artistic installation more sturdy. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. http://www.sourcelibre.net http://alexandre.quessy.net


launching-and-monitoring-multiple-max-app-instances-with-lunch

The license of Max allows one to launch multiple instances of it on the same computer, right?

Launching and monitoring multiple Max app instances with Lunch