Start script on logon

Question

I understand shell executes commands in either ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login or ~/.profile, whichever is found first. My system has only .profile, yet commands entered there won't get executed on startup/login.

The script I'm talking about is essentially a cron front-end/TO-DO list manager. When user logs in (as in user gets access to his personal files/logs in to his account), the script should execute, checking whether there are any tasks that have failed to remind. If it finds any, zenity prompt will be poped up, asking next input.

Solution 1

Okay, I've found a solution to my initial problem. It's dirty one though.

First of all, using ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login, ~/.profile or even /etc/profile.d/ should be preferred methods instead (here's good reading on the subject). Don't know why it doesn't work for me; perhaps it has something to do with my display manager auto logon workaround, just a guess.

Another solution would be adding script shortcuts to global file that gets executed at startup, for instance /etc/rc.local.

Since my script requires xserver and user to be logged on, I created initfile which waits after bootup for xserver and user to be logged on and then executes the script:

#! /bin/bash

### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          script_file.sh startup at boot
# Required-Start:    $all
# Required-Stop:
# X-Start-Before:    
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:
# Description: runs '/usr/local/bin/script_file.sh --optional --flags' at startup, when xserver has started and YOURUSERNAME is logged on.
### END INIT INFO

case "$1" in
    start)
        # Wait until X is running and required user logged in:
        count=0
        until [[ "$(tty)" != "\/dev\/tty1" ]] && [[ "$(who | cut -d' ' -f1 | sort | uniq)" == "YOURUSERNAME" ]]; do
            sleep 5
            let count=$count+1
            if [[ "$count" == "10" ]]; then
                echo "Xserver hasn't started or other error occurred. Abort"; exit 1
            fi
        done
        # Run the script as YOURUSERNAME instead of root:
        su - YOURUSERNAME -c '/usr/local/bin/script_file.sh --optional --flags'
    ;;
    stop)
        :
    ;;
esac
exit 0

This soulution assumes having automatic log-on set up. As mentioned, it really isn't the way to do it, but works for now.

Solution 2

First create your ~/.bash_login and make it do something simply (like echo a phrase.)

echo "echo Look at me go" > ~/.bash_login

Then use bash -l like @mata said. The -l flag will run the bash as if it were the login shell (to make sure it reads your settings files.)

Comments

[theabraham]

You can create ~/.bash_login if it doesn't exist.

[Admin]

~/.bash_login still doesn't work.

[Admin]

how do you test if it doesn't work? have you tried inserting an echo something... into ~/.profile and executing bash -l?

[Nicole Hamilton]

Be sure your scripts are executable. You can set this using chmod +x.

[laur]

Tried running my own script from there; also added > location/filename, which I thought would be good indicator.

[laur]

@NicoleHamilton afaik those setting files don't need to be executable.

[Nicole Hamilton]

@LaurAliste You could be right. I wasn't on a Linux machine to check and I wasn't able to find a clear answer by Googling.

[Nicole Hamilton]

Are you starting bash using the -l or --login option to make it a login shell? If not, it won't look for a .profile or similar login script.

[vonbrand]

Check bash(1). I think the *profile, *login files are only executed bt the login shell (hat you won't see, as it launches all your envirnoment), while *rc and such are sourced each time a new shell is launched.

[laur]

Works with bash -l but not after reboot/logon.

[theabraham]

try putting it in the ~/.bash_rc file, and see if that works.

[laur]

If you mean ~/.bashrc, then already tried that.

[theabraham]

Hmm, are these files in the home directory of the user you're trying to login as?

[laur]

Yes, and there's only one user besides root.

[theabraham]

Are you sure you're using bash? What does echo $SHELL tell you?

[laur]

I'm sure it's bash. Where does desktop environment (XFCE in my case) put the commands inserted via startup settings?

[theabraham]

~/.bashrc and related files will only run when you open a shell, not when you start your computer. If you want to run something at startup, you can create a cron job that looks like this @reboot /path/to/script. I use a mac mostly, so I'm not sure how XFCE work :/

[laur]

I've already tried @reboot in cron; that doesn't seem to be working either. (just to be clear, my cronjobs are installed in /etc/cron.d/somefile)

[tink]

Chances are that the shell(s) you're invoking under XFCE aren't classed as login-shells. Try putting what you need to run on login in something xfce specific. forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=5550

[laur]

That's the point - the script I'm writing needs to install itself on any system; it's essential it's run at every logon.

[Zoredache]

@LaurAliste, please precisely define login. What commands exactly need to be ran? Is this for mounting filesystems or something? If you need something to be used be ran for every 'login' irrespective, of what shell or program is actually performing the login, then you need to look at doing something with PAM.

[Zoredache]

BTW, please update your question with additional details, and requirements.