News and Updates
DssW's latest news and information. Announcements, insights, and guides all appear here first.
Legacy Guides
Documentation for every major version of Power Manager is now available.
Power Manager’s history goes back to 1997, when we launched version one. Back then the software’s requirement was Apple’s System 7.6. The original documentation was written in HTML and thus has been incredibly resilient to technological change in the intervening decades. …
Published
Two Steps Forward
The Power Manager 5.10 rollback is done. The encoding bug has been fixed.
A couple of weeks ago, we unfortunately confirmed a critical encoding bug in the then latest release of Power Manager. While we fixed the problem, we reverted to an earlier version of Power Manager. …
Published
Support for macOS 15 – Sequoia
Announcing Power Manager's support for macOS 15, aka Sequoia.
We are pleased to announce support for macOS 15, aka Sequoia, with the launch of Power Manager 5.10.2. We continue to recommend waiting for the first minor update to any major macOS release. For macOS 15, the first minor update from Apple should be macOS 15.1. …
Published
Scheduling a Shut Down on macOS
It is possible to schedule a Mac to shut down at a particular time or after a specific event. There are different approaches available depending on the situation.
In this recipe we will look at the options available and their caveats. Built in to macOS macOS has built in support for scheduling shut downs based on the time and day of the week. Before macOS 13, this functionality was available in the System Preferences’ Energy Saver settings. …
Published
Power Manager 5.10.0 Released
Announcing the launch of Power Manager 5.10.0 for macOS.
We are pleased to announce the launch of Power Manager 5.10. This update introduces new Schedule Assistant tasks for requesting URLs, a new user session time condition and improvements to the command line tool pmctl. …
Published
Power Manager and pmset on macOS
How can Power Manager and pmset work together on macOS.
Power Manager is often considered a replacement for macOS’s built-in power management tool pmset. This is not true but the assumption is understandable. We are often asked about how macOS’s power management System Settings, the built-in command line tool pmset, and our own Power Manager all work together. Does one replace the other? Do they conflict? Can they work together? …
Published
How to Script Power Manager Licensing
A recipe showing how to apply a licence to Power Manager using a script.
Power Manager’s licensing is certificate based. This means your licence is represented by a certificate file1 and that file needs to be applied to Power Manager to work. Typically, a licence is applied by following the steps included with the purchase or at licensing support. This approach uses the graphical Power Manager application and the menu item: …
Published
Scripting without Passwords
How to script Power Manager without needing to enter passwords or credentials.
When writing scripts or tools that use pmctl as a client, being able to avoid an interactive prompt is often essential. We have previously written about How to Avoid Passwords in Power Manager Scripts but in the twelve years since, the underlying tools have evolved and become cross platform. What worked then, is no longer appropriate today. Let’s revisit the topic. …
Published
Missing Energy Saver Schedule in macOS 13
Acknowledging the removal of the power schedule from Energy Saver.
With the launch the macOS 13, aka Ventura, Apple removed their user interface for scheduling power events. The omission is conspicuous, particularly during a time when energy costs are making news headlines. Reducing energy use through automation is an effective way to reducing costs. So this removal of a simple built-in interface is unfortunate. …
Published
How to Open a Link or URL
Learn how to open a link or URL from a scheduled event.
You can create an event in Power Manager that automatically opens a link or URL. The URL will open in the user’s default browser. This behaviour can be customised by passing additional arguments to the open command. …
Published