Skip to content

Run at startup

Goal: WuWeiDict answers at localhost:6888 from the moment you log in, without you starting it.

All this is optional and is just convenience to have wudict running as service even after you reboot, so that you don't need to start it manually every time you need it.

LaunchAgent

macOS starts a LaunchAgent when you log in. The Makefile in a source clone generates and manages it.

Command What it does
make mac-agent-install generate the plist and register the agent
make mac-agent-start start it now
make mac-agent-stop stop it
make mac-agent-restart rebuild the binary, then restart
make mac-agent-status show its state, including the process id
make mac-agent-uninstall stop it and delete the plist

Verify

the agent's state
make mac-agent-status

Then open localhost:6888.

Or use the app instead

wuDict.app does the same job on demand. It shows a menu-bar icon that reports whether the server runs, opens it, rescans dictionaries and quits it. The LaunchAgent shows nothing.

Choose the agent to have WuWeiDict always there. Choose the app to start and stop it yourself.

The macOS app

systemd user unit

The service runs as your user. Only the binary needs sudo, because it goes to /usr/local/bin.

Command What it does
make linux-service-install install the binary with sudo, then create the user unit
make linux-service-start enable and start it now
make linux-service-stop disable and stop it
make linux-service-restart rebuild, reinstall, restart
make linux-service-status show the unit's state
make linux-service-uninstall remove the unit and keep the binary

The unit expects the binary at /usr/local/bin/wudict.

To install only the binary, run make linux-install. Set PREFIX=/opt/foo to put it elsewhere.

Keep it running after you log out

allow your services to outlive the session
sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(id -un)"

Verify

state now, logs live
make linux-service-status
journalctl --user -u wudict -f

The installer does it

The setup wizard has a start at sign-in option. Switch it on during installation and it places the launcher in your Startup folder, with --no-browser already set. See the Windows installer.

By hand

  1. Put wudict.exe in a folder of your choice, for example C:\tools\wudict\.
  2. Press Win+R and enter shell:startup.
  3. Put a shortcut to wudict.exe in the folder that opens.

Add --no-browser to the shortcut's command line if you do not want a browser tab at every sign-in.

What you get

Started by Windows or from Explorer, wudict.exe shows a tray icon in the notification area instead of a console window with log messages. It logs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\wudict\wudict.log.

Verify

Sign out and back in, then open localhost:6888.

Useful settings for a background server

Setting Why
NO_BROWSER do not open a browser tab at every start
TRAY force the tray or menu-bar icon on or off
VERBOSE log requests and dictionary opens while you diagnose