PRG Mbox Designer Manual 3.9 - Manual (Page 112)

104 MBOX ® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL
SCRIPTS
Using Scripts with Mbox
Beginning with Mbox v3.9, it is possible to trigger custom scripts. These scripts can be either AppleScripts or shell
scripts. The two types of scripts are created differently, but both types can be triggered identically.
Scripts are numerically indexed using an 8-bit prefix, just like other content on the server. Scripts must be placed in
the
/Mbox/plugins/scripts folder. AppleScripts must use the file extension '.scpt' and shell scripts must use the file
extension '.sh'
001.Apple Script.scpt or 123.Shell Script.sh
Scripts are considered metadata within the Mbox Content Management system. Beginning with Mbox v3.9, metadata
files can be sync'ed along with content (texture and object) files.
IMPORTANT! Scripts must be created outside Mbox using another application. They should always be tested outside
Mbox first, and then tested within Mbox before use in show situations.
AppleScripts
Use the AppleScript Editor application to create and test AppleScripts.
AppleScripts can be used to control many aspects of the computer and other applications running on the computer.
AppleScripts can also be used for external control, but require the script to trigger some other application for that
external control.
CAUTION! In some cases, launching and performing tasks in some other application while Mbox is running, may
negatively affect Mbox performance.
The AppleScript editor saves script files with the. scpt extension by default. You can also save the file as a text file
(using either Mac or Unix line endings), but you must then change the file extension to .scpt manually before using the
script in Mbox.
Shell Scripts
For simple scripts (single commands) use the Terminal application to test the commands and syntax first, then copy
and paste the text into a text editor. For more complex scripts, the commands must be created in the text editor first
and then tested.
IMPORTANT! Shell scripts must be converted to be executable before being used in Mbox.
To save a script as a text file and make it an executable shell script, do the following:
Step 1. Save the script as a file using the file extension '.sh'
Step 2. Open a Terminal window and type "chmod 755 " (make sure to include the trailing space) and then drag and
drop the saved .sh file onto the Terminal window.
Step 3. Press [return] on the keyboard. (This step makes the file executable.)
Step 4. Double-click on the file to run the script for testing.
Shell scripts can be used to control many aspects on the computer, including external network communications. Shell
scripts do not require other applications to be launched on the computer and therefore may have less impact on the
performance of Mbox. However, shell scripts can be dangerous if they modify the core functionality of the computer
or its communications.