feat(schedule): introduce schtasks-hide-window option (#541)

* feat(schedule): introduce `schtasks-hide-window` option

* chore(schedule): fix typos

* docs(schedule): describe `schtasks-hide-window` option

* chore(schedule): fix typo

* test(schedule): add test for `schtasks-hide-window` option

* chore(schedule): fix indentation

* chore(schedule): rename `schtasks-hide-window` option to `hide-window`

* feat(schedule): move `hide-window` option to windows scope

* docs(schedule): update `hide-window` description

* docs(schedule): add note about `conhost` instability

* docs(schedule): simplify note about `conhost`

Author: zumm

config/profile.go

@@ -321,6 +321,7 @@ type ScheduleBaseSection struct {
 	ScheduleIgnoreOnBattery         maybe.Bool     `mapstructure:"schedule-ignore-on-battery" show:"noshow" default:"false" description:"Don't start this schedule when running on battery"`
 	ScheduleIgnoreOnBatteryLessThan int            `mapstructure:"schedule-ignore-on-battery-less-than" show:"noshow" default:"" examples:"20;33;50;75" description:"Don't start this schedule when running on battery and the state of charge is less than this percentage"`
 	ScheduleAfterNetworkOnline      maybe.Bool     `mapstructure:"schedule-after-network-online" show:"noshow" description:"Don't start this schedule when the network is offline (supported in \"systemd\")"`
+	ScheduleHideWindow              maybe.Bool     `mapstructure:"schedule-hide-window" show:"noshow" default:"false" description:"Hide schedule window when running in foreground (Windows only)"`
 }
 
 func (s *ScheduleBaseSection) setRootPath(_ *Profile, _ string) {

config/schedule.go

@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ type ScheduleBaseConfig struct {
 	IgnoreOnBatteryLessThan int            `mapstructure:"ignore-on-battery-less-than" default:"" examples:"20;33;50;75" description:"Don't start this schedule when running on battery and the state of charge is less than this percentage"`
 	AfterNetworkOnline      maybe.Bool     `mapstructure:"after-network-online" description:"Don't start this schedule when the network is offline (supported in \"systemd\")"`
 	SystemdDropInFiles      []string       `mapstructure:"systemd-drop-in-files" default:"" description:"Files containing systemd drop-in (override) files - see https://creativeprojects.github.io/resticprofile/schedules/systemd/"`
+	HideWindow              maybe.Bool     `mapstructure:"hide-window" default:"false" description:"Hide schedule window when running in foreground (Windows only)"`
 }
 
 // scheduleBaseConfigDefaults declares built-in scheduling defaults
@@ -96,6 +97,9 @@ func (s *ScheduleBaseConfig) init(defaults *ScheduleBaseConfig) {
 	if s.SystemdDropInFiles == nil {
 		s.SystemdDropInFiles = slices.Clone(defaults.SystemdDropInFiles)
 	}
+	if !s.HideWindow.HasValue() {
+		s.HideWindow = defaults.HideWindow
+	}
 }
 
 func (s *ScheduleBaseConfig) applyOverrides(section *ScheduleBaseSection) {
@@ -111,6 +115,7 @@ func (s *ScheduleBaseConfig) applyOverrides(section *ScheduleBaseSection) {
 	s.EnvCapture = slices.Clone(section.ScheduleEnvCapture)
 	s.IgnoreOnBattery = section.ScheduleIgnoreOnBattery
 	s.AfterNetworkOnline = section.ScheduleAfterNetworkOnline
+	s.HideWindow = section.ScheduleHideWindow
 	// re-init with defaults
 	s.init(&defaults)
 }

docs/content/schedules/configuration.md

@@ -190,6 +190,17 @@ If set to `true`, the schedule won't start if the system is running on battery (
 
 If set to a number, the schedule won't start if the system is running on battery and the charge is less than or equal to the specified number.
 
+## schedule-hide-window
+
+When `schedule-permission` is set to `user_logged_on`, Windows Task Scheduler runs tasks in the foreground.
+This behavior may interrupt the user's activity and is often undesirable.
+
+To prevent that, set this option to `true` to hide the task window by wrapping the execution in `conhost.exe --headless`.
+
+Note: It works only on Windows and makes sense only with `user_logged_on` permission.
+
+Note: The behavior of `conhost.exe` varies between Windows versions. It has been confirmed to work on Windows 11 (24H2) but not on Windows 10 (1607).
+
 ## Example 
 
 Here's an example of a scheduling configuration:

schedule/config.go

@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Flags              map[string]string // flags added to the command line
 	AfterNetworkOnline bool
 	SystemdDropInFiles []string
+	HideWindow         bool
 	removeOnly         bool
 }
 

schedule/handler_windows.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package schedule
 import (
 	"errors"
 
+	"github.com/creativeprojects/clog"
 	"github.com/creativeprojects/resticprofile/calendar"
 	"github.com/creativeprojects/resticprofile/constants"
 	"github.com/creativeprojects/resticprofile/schtasks"
@@ -55,11 +56,30 @@ func (h *HandlerWindows) CreateJob(job *Config, schedules []*calendar.Event, per
 	} else if permission == PermissionUserLoggedOn {
 		perm = schtasks.UserLoggedOnAccount
 	}
+
+	var command string
+	var arguments CommandArguments
+
+	if job.HideWindow {
+		if permission != PermissionUserLoggedOn {
+			clog.Warning("hiding window makes sense only with \"user_logged_on\" permission")
+		}
+
+		command = "conhost.exe"
+		arguments = NewCommandArguments(append(
+			[]string{"--headless", job.Command},
+			job.Arguments.RawArgs()...,
+		))
+	} else {
+		command = job.Command
+		arguments = job.Arguments
+	}
+
 	jobConfig := &schtasks.Config{
 		ProfileName:      job.ProfileName,
 		CommandName:      job.CommandName,
-		Command:          job.Command,
-		Arguments:        job.Arguments.String(),
+		Command:          command,
+		Arguments:        arguments.String(),
 		WorkingDirectory: job.WorkingDirectory,
 		JobDescription:   job.JobDescription,
 		RunLevel:         job.RunLevel,

schedule/handler_windows_test.go

@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ package schedule
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/creativeprojects/resticprofile/calendar"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 // Support for Windows removed as it was broken
@@ -45,3 +47,34 @@ func TestDetectPermissionTaskScheduler(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestHideWindowOption(t *testing.T) {
+	job := Config{
+		ProfileName:      "TestHideWindowOption",
+		CommandName:      "backup",
+		Command:          "echo",
+		Arguments:        NewCommandArguments([]string{"hello", "there"}),
+		WorkingDirectory: "C:\\",
+		JobDescription:   "TestHideWindowOption",
+		HideWindow:       true,
+	}
+
+	handler := NewHandler(SchedulerWindows{}).(*HandlerWindows)
+
+	event := calendar.NewEvent()
+	err := event.Parse("2020-01-02 03:04") // will never get triggered
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	err = handler.CreateJob(&job, []*calendar.Event{event}, PermissionUserLoggedOn)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() {
+		_ = handler.RemoveJob(&job, PermissionUserLoggedOn)
+	}()
+
+	scheduledJobs, err := handler.Scheduled(job.ProfileName)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, len(scheduledJobs), 1)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, scheduledJobs[0].Command, "conhost.exe")
+	assert.Equal(t, scheduledJobs[0].Arguments.String(), "--headless echo hello there")
+}

schedule_jobs.go

@@ -238,5 +238,6 @@ func scheduleToConfig(sched *config.Schedule) *schedule.Config {
 		Flags:              sched.Flags,
 		AfterNetworkOnline: sched.AfterNetworkOnline.IsTrue(),
 		SystemdDropInFiles: sched.SystemdDropInFiles,
+		HideWindow:         sched.HideWindow.IsTrue(),
 	}
 }

schtasks/taskscheduler.go

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ func Create(config *Config, schedules []*calendar.Event, permission Permission)
 			return fmt.Errorf("cannot delete existing task to replace it: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
+
 	task := createTaskDefinition(config, schedules)
 	task.RegistrationInfo.URI = taskPath