Robot Mac user

December 19, 2008 6:20 AM

How would I simulate daily useage patterns on a Mac for testing purposes? My ideal would be something hands free that I can just start running and doing something else. Sorry if this is a little inside baseball.

Basically what I do now is, boot up the computer, run Activity Monitor (updates frequently) then open a couple of 3D examples in Grapher. Let that run awhile (usually pegs out processor). Then I will stop grapher, let that sit idle.
What I am looking for (and I may just have to write a Automator script to do it) is something that will simulate a little better normal use.

posted by ShawnString to computers & internet (3 comments total)

Applescript is pretty much what you want here. You can open applications, have them open and save documents, update the text in them etc. You can simulate mouse operations on the gui with gui scripting. Not sure about generating key events, though it sounds like you don't want that sort of granularity.
posted by bonaldi at 8:48 AM on December 19, 2008

I used an older version of Eggplant Tester awhile ago and found it pretty good. The newer versions look different, based on the screenshots, but seem to have the same underpinnings.

It was geekier and more hardcore than rolling your own in AppleScript, though, which might be easier for simple tasks.
posted by rokusan at 10:37 AM on December 19, 2008

I also use the grapher trick so much, I've memorized the default shortcut to the examples. Command-G, then /lib/app support/apple/grapher/examples/3d. I'll also leave iTunes streaming on, near mute so I can work on something else, but listening for any drops in the music.
posted by now i'm piste at 1:12 PM on March 13