## Describe your changes
In unattended installs/updates there may be no logged-in user, so
there's no context to start the GUI (nor anyone to see it).
The bug is the GUI being started in the wrong user context / inheriting
the wrong `$HOME` (OS mechanics aside).
Today the GUI is started by a per-user LaunchAgent, i.e. on behalf of
the user who logs in — no login ⇒ no GUI.
The patch aligns to this: it launches the GUI on behalf of the logged-in
console user if one exists, otherwise it delegates the launch to the
per-user LaunchAgent at next login.
Additionally it logs when default UI settings are applied.
Note (small caveat): the LaunchAgent auto-starts the GUI at login only
once it's been registered — which happens on the first GUI launch in the
user's context. On an MDM/unattended fresh install done with no user
logged in (where the user has never run the GUI before), they may need
to start it manually once; it self-registers from then on.
## Issue ticket number and link
No public issue — reported internally (community report on Slack: macOS
advanced-view + onboarding reset on every update, esp. via MDM/Munki).
Buggy line on main:
dd2bdc0de3/release_files/darwin_pkg/postinstall (L33)
## Stack
<!-- branch-stack -->
### Checklist
- [x] Is it a bug fix
- [ ] Is a typo/documentation fix
- [ ] Is a feature enhancement
- [ ] It is a refactor
- [ ] Created tests that fail without the change (if possible)
> By submitting this pull request, you confirm that you have read and
agree to the terms of the [Contributor License
Agreement](https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/blob/main/CONTRIBUTOR_LICENSE_AGREEMENT.md).
## Documentation
Select exactly one:
- [ ] I added/updated documentation for this change
- [x] Documentation is **not needed** for this change (explain why)
Internal macOS installer / GUI-launch behavior. No public API, CLI, or
configuration change: the fix only changes the user context the desktop
GUI is launched in after a pkg install/update.
### Docs PR URL (required if "docs added" is checked)
Paste the PR link from https://github.com/netbirdio/docs here:
N/A
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<!-- This is an auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai
-->
## Summary by CodeRabbit
- **Bug Fixes**
- Improved macOS installation and updater UI launching to occur only
when an active, valid GUI console session is detected.
- Prevented UI launches during unattended/system, root, or
login-window-related installs.
- Ensured the app is launched in the correct console-user context, and
skips cleanly when username/UID resolution fails.
- **Improvements**
- Added clearer informational logging when the UI preferences file is
not found and default preferences are used.
<!-- end of auto-generated comment: release notes by coderabbit.ai -->
Start using NetBird at netbird.io
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🤖 NetBird Agent Network (Beta)
Identity-aware access control for AI agents — keyless access to LLM APIs and private resources over the encrypted NetBird tunnel. See
agent-network/or read the docs at netbird.ai.
NetBird combines a configuration-free peer-to-peer private network and a centralized access control system in a single platform, making it easy to create secure private networks for your organization or home.
Connect. NetBird creates a WireGuard-based overlay network that automatically connects your machines over an encrypted tunnel, leaving behind the hassle of opening ports, complex firewall rules, VPN gateways, and so forth.
Secure. NetBird enables secure remote access by applying granular access policies while allowing you to manage them intuitively from a single place. Works universally on any infrastructure.
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/10cec749-bb56-4ab3-97af-4e38850108d2
Self-host NetBird (video)
Key features
Quickstart with NetBird Cloud
- Download and install NetBird at https://app.netbird.io/install.
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Quickstart with self-hosted NetBird
This is the quickest way to try self-hosted NetBird. It should take around 5 minutes to get started if you already have a public domain and a VM. Follow the Advanced guide with a custom identity provider for installations with different IdPs.
Infrastructure requirements:
- A Linux VM with at least 1 CPU and 2 GB of memory.
- The VM should be publicly accessible on TCP ports 80 and 443 and UDP port 3478.
- A public domain name pointing to the VM.
Software requirements:
- Docker with the Compose plugin (Compose v2 or higher). See the Docker installation guide.
Steps
- Download and run the installation script:
export NETBIRD_DOMAIN=netbird.example.com; curl -fsSL https://github.com/netbirdio/netbird/releases/latest/download/getting-started.sh | bash
A bit on NetBird internals
- Every machine in the network runs the NetBird agent, which manages WireGuard.
- Every agent connects to the Management Service, which holds network state, manages peer IPs, and distributes updates to agents.
- Agents use ICE (via pion/ice) to discover connection candidates for peer-to-peer connections.
- Candidates are discovered with the help of STUN servers.
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See a complete architecture overview for details.
Community projects
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For stable versions, see releases.
Support acknowledgement
In November 2022, NetBird joined the StartUpSecure program sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany. Together with the CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, NetBird brings security best practices and simplicity to private networking.
Acknowledgements
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This repository is licensed under the BSD-3-Clause license, which applies to all parts of the repository except for the directories management/, signal/ and relay/. Those directories are licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0 (AGPLv3). See the respective LICENSE files inside each directory.
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