I have created a pre-login agent which uses CGEventPost for simulating keyboard. FYI I am developing a remote control app similar to teamviewer.
Keyboard
CGEventRef keyEvent = CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent( NULL, keyCode, down ) ;
CGEventPost( kCGHIDEventTap, keyEvent ) ;
CFRelease( keyEvent ) ;
Mouse
CGEventRef event = CGEventCreateMouseEvent(eventSource, eventType, mouseLocation, mouseButton );
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, event);
CFRelease(event);
Pre-login launch agent
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>Label</key>
<string>my app label</string>
<key>LimitLoadToSessionType</key>
<string>LoginWindow</string>
<key>RunAtLoad</key>
<true/>
<key>WorkingDirectory</key>
<string>My app directory</string>
<key>ProgramArguments</key>
<array>
<string>app absolute path</string>
<string>service</string>
<string>myservice</string>
</array>
<key>KeepAlive</key>
<true/>
</dict>
</plist>
CGEventPost is not working, I get the following in the Console logs after login
Untrusted apps are not allowed to connect to
Window Server before login.
I have searched o chromium's remote control (which has keyboard and mouse simulation working) source code. They use CGEventPost for keyboard, but it works in login window.
https://cs.chromium.org/chromium/src/remoting/host/input_injector_mac.cc?rcl=0&l=42
They seem to use a sh file in privileged helper tools directory and use to to load the service, I tried putting our service in privileged helpers tool, but still the event handling fails.
The Deprecated API CGPostMouseEvent, CGPostKeyBoardEvent work without problem , but would really like to know how non deprecated keyboard API works in chromium.