OS X - launchd list of strange deamons running

Question

I was running launchctl to see which deamons are running on my system (or are registered to do so) and I found a pretty strange list contaning "anonymous" stuff... can you guys tell me what this stuff means?

Here is the list:

PID Status  Label
447 -   0x100611ca0.anonymous.launchctl
429 -   0x100204660.anonymous.bash
428 -   0x1002043a0.anonymous.login
426 -   [0x0-0x1e01e].com.apple.Terminal
405 -   [0x0-0x1c01c].com.apple.Safari
226 -   [0x0-0x16016].com.adobe.ARM
214 -   [0x0-0x14014].com.wacom.TabletDriver
209 -   [0x0-0x11011].com.hegenberg.BetterTouchTool
82  -   0x1006119e0.anonymous.coreservicesd
-   0   0x1003005f0.mach_init.rcd
-   0   org.x.startx
-   0   org.openbsd.ssh-agent
-   0   edu.mit.Kerberos.KerberosAgent
-   0   com.apple.WebKit.PluginAgent
-   0   com.apple.warmd_agent
-   0   com.apple.VoiceOver
190 -   com.apple.UserEventAgent-Aqua
-   0   com.apple.unmountassistant.useragent
-   0   com.apple.tiswitcher
119 -   com.apple.SystemUIServer.agent
-   0   com.apple.syncservices.uihandler
-   0   com.apple.syncservices.SyncServer
-   0   com.apple.SubmitDiagInfo
-   0   com.apple.storeagent
-   0   com.apple.store_helper
-   0   com.apple.ServiceManagement.LoginItems
-   0   com.apple.ServerScanner
-   0   com.apple.scrod
-   0   com.apple.ScreenSharing.server
-   0   com.apple.ScreenReaderUIServer
-   0   com.apple.ReportPanic
-   0   com.apple.ReportCrash.Self
-   0   com.apple.ReportCrash
-   0   com.apple.RemoteUI
-   0   com.apple.RemoteDesktop.agent
-   0   com.apple.quicklook
-   0   com.apple.PubSub.Agent
-   0   com.apple.PreferenceSyncAgent
-   0   com.apple.pictd
-   0   com.apple.PCIESlotCheck
-   0   com.apple.pbs
123 -   com.apple.pboard
-   0   com.apple.parentalcontrols.check
-   0   com.apple.NetworkDiagnostics
-   0   com.apple.netauth.useragent
-   0   com.apple.midiserver
-   0   com.apple.metadata.mdwrite.plist
-   1   com.apple.Kerberos.renew.plist
-   0   com.apple.java.updateSharing
-   0   com.apple.isst
-   0   com.apple.installd.user
-   0   com.apple.imklaunchagent
-   0   com.apple.helpd
-   0   com.apple.FontWorker
-   0   com.apple.ATS.FontValidatorConduit
-   0   com.apple.ATS.FontValidator
-   0   com.apple.FontRegistryUIAgent
144 -   com.apple.fontd
120 -   com.apple.Finder
-   0   com.apple.familycontrols.useragent
118 -   com.apple.Dock.agent
-   0   com.apple.DictionaryPanelHelper
-   0   com.apple.coreservices.uiagent
-   0   com.apple.coremedia.videodecoder
-   0   com.apple.CoreLocationAgent
-   0   com.apple.coredata.externalrecordswriter
-   0   com.apple.BezelUIServer
-   0   com.apple.AOSNotification
-   0   com.apple.alf.useragent
197 -   com.apple.AirPortBaseStationAgent
-   0   com.apple.AddressBook.abd
198 -   net.culater.SIMBL.Agent
199 -   com.wacom.pentablet
-   0   com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager
-   0   com.adobe.CS4ServiceManager
-   0   com.apple.marcoagent
202 -   com.apple.imagent.monaco
-   0   com.apple.FTMonitor
204 -   com.apple.FolderActions.enabled
-   0   com.adobe.ARM.930da3ce175de4e82bd3cdf1dd8571f74bd3b6a7236bc94bfc00f6e9
94  -   0x100300be0.anonymous.WindowServer
28  -   0x1003008b0.anonymous.securityd
33  -   0x1002034e0.anonymous.loginwindow
-   0   com.apple.launchctl.Aqua
-   0   com.apple.FolderActions.folders
82  -   0x100100460.anonymous.coreservicesd
207 -   edu.mit.Kerberos.CCacheServer
-   0   com.apple.TrustEvaluationAgent
-   0   com.apple.KerberosHelper.LKDCHelper
-   0   com.apple.gssd-agent
-   0   com.apple.FileSyncAgent
-   0   com.apple.datadetectors.compiler
-   0   com.apple.cvmsCompAgent_x86_64
-   0   com.apple.cvmsCompAgent_ppc
-   0   com.apple.cvmsCompAgent_i386
-   0   com.apple.launchctl.Background

I am not worried with spyware of stuff like that. I would like to get rid of crap that may be running on the system.

Do you guys see something you would remove?

thanks.

Answer 1

From man launchctl:

Note that you may see some jobs in the list whose labels are in the style "0xdeadbeef.anonymous.program". These are jobs which are not managed by launchd, but, at one point, made a request to it. launchd claims no ownership and makes no guarantees regarding these jobs. They are stored purely for bookkeeping purposes.

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The processes at the top are your GUI and CLI applications. WindowServer, loginwindow, etc. are Mac OS X system applications. There's nothing to worry about.