Retiring a Claude Code Model Unattended with launchd: A Self-Destructing Job That Auto-Patches settings.json

Short summary

A developer shares a launchd-based script that automatically rewrites the model field in Claude Code's settings.json when a model reaches end-of-life, then self-unregisters. The script uses a date guard to prevent catch-up firing, jq for atomic JSON patching with validation, and osascript for desktop notifications. The pattern generalizes beyond model migration to any 'change a setting exactly once on a specific day' scenario.

• •launchd script auto-patches Claude Code settings.json on model EOL date
• •Date guard prevents premature catch-up firing; jq rewrite is atomic with backup and JSON validation
• •Job self-unregisters via launchctl unload after completion, leaving plist for potential re-registration

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