Thanks. I already looked at this post but AFAIK they just confirm what I found, they dont provide solutions.
iScreenSaver is an app, they dont provide source code. Ill have a better look.
But if you have a solution to read these 2 values, Im interested !
This is a super ugly hack, but it worked for me. Use with caution, etc.
Private Function GetLockScreenTimeoutFromKB() as integer
#if TargetCocoa
' hack for finding the value which we used to be able to get from
' defaults read com.apple.screensaver askForPasswordDelay
'Notes
' The file where the data was stored was deteremined with these terminal commands
' see http://www.westwind.com/reference/OS-X/finding-settings.html
' sudo -s # get a root shell
' touch timestamp
' find -x / -newer ~/timestamp >~/changedfiles.txt
' bbedit changedfiles.txt
' then, the actual byte data was found by making changes in System Preferences
' and comparing before vs. after using HexFiend.app
' Notes on return values:
' - 2 means an error
' -1 means the lock screen timeout is disabled
' 0 means 'immediately'
' 1+ all other positive values are the timeout in seconds
#Pragma DisableBackgroundTasks
dim root as FolderItem = SpecialFolder.UserLibrary
root = root.child("Keychains")
dim matches() as FolderItem
dim dates() as double
// we are looking for user.kb which is in a folder with a giant hex name
for i as integer = 1 to root.Count
dim g as FolderItem = root.item(i)
if g <> nil and g.exists then
dim f as FolderItem = g.child("user.kb")
if f <> nil and f.exists then
matches.append f
dates.append f.ModificationDate.TotalSeconds
system.debugLog(f.ModificationDate.SQLDateTime + " " + f.NativePath)
end if
end if
next
if matches.Ubound = -1 then
system.debugLog(CurrentMethodName + " unable to find user.kb file")
return -2
end if
dates.sortWith(matches) ' sort by modification date
dim f as FolderItem = matches.pop ' get the most recent one
dim timeout as int32 = GetLockScreenParseKeybag(f)
return timeout
#endif
End Function
Private Function GetLockScreenParseKeybag(f as FolderItem) as integer
#if TargetCocoa
#Pragma DisableBackgroundTasks
' hack for finding the value which we used to be able to get from
' defaults read com.apple.screensaver askForPasswordDelay
' this parses the keybag file to return the value
' see https://github.com/n0fate/iChainbreaker/blob/master/keybag.py
'KEYBAG_DATA = '>4sI'
'KEYBAG_DATA_SIZE = 8
'KEYBAG_HEADER = '>4sII4sII4sI16s4sI40s4sII4sI20s4sII'
'KEYBAG_HEADER_SIZE = 148
dim mb as MemoryBlock = ReadFileIntoMemoryBlock(f)
system.debugLog "Keybag size " + str(mb.size)
// quick & dirty method of parsing: find the tag 'GRCE' and then grab the next 4 bytes
// absence of the GRCE atom seems to indicate that 'immediately' is the setting.
dim data as string = mb
' note: when using strings, positions are 1-based
dim x1 as integer = data.InStrb("GRCE")
if x1 = 0 then
system.debugLog CurrentMethodName + " failed to find GRCE tag, will use 'immediately' as result"
return 0
else
x1 = x1 -1 // zero-based
system.debugLog CurrentMethodName + " found GRCE tag at " + str(x1)
end if
// it's actually bigendian so just use the MemoryBlock
mb.LittleEndian = false
dim tagLength as integer = mb.Int32Value(x1+4)
system.debugLog CurrentMethodName + " GRCE tagLength = " + str(tagLength)
dim location as integer = x1 + 8 + tagLength - 4
dim timeout as integer = mb.Int32Value(location)
select case timeout
case 2147483647
timeout = -1 // special value of MAXINT-1 means "Disabled"
case -2102302411
timeout = 0 // immediately
end select
dim msg as string = "Keybag Values = "
for i as integer = x1 to x1 + tagLength + 4 -1
msg = msg + hex(mb.byte(i)) + " "
next
system.debugLog msg
return timeout
#endif
End Function
I suspect this will not work on Catalina (and perhaps not Mojave) due to increased security restrictions. Can you say more about what you are trying to accomplish? Why do you want that setting?
I have a custom software that was only used in office premises and the macs controlled by policies.
With covid-19 confinement rules, more and more users are working from home, no more policies, its a customer concern.
I need to restrict access to some windows when theres no password requested after screensaver started and have a maximal delay for asking the password.
They dont want to enforce these settings, they just want to check them and to inform the user.
This was fine up until 10.12 Sierra, using read defaults.
I know I can get System Idle time and close windows or even lock the screen but it requires more changes to the software than just relying on system settings.
Thanks.
For askForPassword I could use appleScript:
require password to wake (boolean) : Is a password required to wake the computer from sleep or screen saver?
--> tell application "System Events" to tell security preferences to get require password to wake
For aksForPasswordDelay I cant find the correct system event, there is
log out when inactive interval (integer) : The interval of inactivity after which the computer will log out
but it always return 60 which doesnt correspond to anything in my settings
