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Contents
Introduction
This page describes how to configure autostart with the MATE desktop environment in Mageia Linux. "autostart" enables starting programs automatically at login.
For example: starting a terminal, a monitoring program, a web browser
Benefits
Using autostart can save time especially if you tend to manually start the same few programs after logging in. It is easy to script what you need started and much faster than doing so manually. It is also possible to place and size program windows in required workspaces (for multi-space DEs).
Preparation
The autostart configuration consists of two parts:
- Configuration file in ${HOME}/.config/autostart/
- A script to position, size, and launch the programs you wish to start on login
This page gives examples of both.
The example autostart script shown here uses wmctrl to switch between workspaces. This is not installed by default in Mageia 7.
Install:
urpmi wmctrl
Configuration in ${HOME}/.config/autostart/
Note that files in this directory to be used for autostart need to be named with a suffix of .desktop.
Example:
[mpb@localhost ~]$ nl -ba /home/mpb/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop
1 [Desktop Entry]
2 Name=MATE_autostart
3 Comment=MATE_autostart: invokes script to start programs at login to MATE
4 Exec=/home/mpb/bin/MATE_initrc
5 Icon=mate-desktop
6 Terminal=false
7 Type=Application
8 StartupNotify=true
9 X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
NB The Exec on line 4 (above) refers to the script that is used to launch programs on login. In this case, it is a script in /home/mpb/bin/MATE_initrc. This will need to be modified for your own choice.
Autostart script
Since the script is run invisibly to the user, it is useful to log script activity. This can help with debugging or adapting to specific environments and requirements.
The example script MATE_initrc (see Appendix-1) logs to ${HOME}/logs/MATE_initrc_log.
MATE_initrc example in Appendix-1 does the following with a brief pause on each different workspace as programs are started:
- open multi-tabbed mate-terminal and gkrellm (monitor display) in workspace 1
- Launch google-chrome-stable in workspace 3
- Launch Firefox in workspace 4
- Returns to workspace 1
Modify MATE_initrc for your needs
Review your local copy of MATE_initrc (see Appendix-1).
Since this is for your own login configuration it is appropriate to keep this in ${HOME}/bin/MATE_initrc.
Things to consider changing are marked with a #LOCAL tag:
The setting of ${default_notify}
Find the following line:
default_notify=Your.email@wherever.org # set to email to be notified of errors #LOCAL
Should be modified to be the email address you would like any failure log report from MATE_initrc to be sent to.
Section which autostarts programs
The section which sets workspaces, geometries and sizes of programs to be auto started. You may wish to choose different programs or workstation placement, geometries, sizes.
NB when running this on a slow or older computer you probably need to increase the pause time before switching to aother workspaces.
Example:
# Now start the programs we wish to have autostarted on login ---------------------------
#
#LOCAL modify this section as needed to autostart which programs are useful to you
pause=3 # time to pause between switching workspaces for startups #LOCAL
doit "wmctrl -s 0 # switch to workspace 1"
# notify user that MATE_autostart has commenced
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart commenced'"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 1'"
# start multi-tabbed mate terminal
doit "/usr/bin/mate-terminal --geometry=191x84+146+30 --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab &"
# start up gkrellm
doit "/usr/bin/gkrellm --geometry +1800+30 &"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause for mate-terminal and gkrellm to start up"
doit "wmctrl -s 2 # switch to workspace 3"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 3'"
doit "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable %U &"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause for google-chrome-stable to start up"
doit "wmctrl -i -r $(wmctrl -lp | grep "Google Chrome" | awk '{print $1}') -e 0,150,30,1756,980 # position and resize Google Chrome"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause to let user see reposition and resize of Firefox"
doit "wmctrl -s 3 # switch to workspace 4"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 4'"
doit "~/Downloads/firefox/firefox&"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause to let Firefox start up"
doit "wmctrl -i -r $(wmctrl -lp | grep "Mozilla Firefox"| awk '{print $1}') -e 0,150,30,1756,1024 # position and resize Mozilla Firefox"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause to let user see reposition and resize of Firefox"
doit "wmctrl -s 0 # switch to workspace 1 - return to workspace with mate-teminal and gkrellm"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 1'"
doit "sleep ${pause}" # optional: leaves "completed notification on screen a little longer
# notify user that MATE_autostart has completed
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart completed'"
# tidying up and ending ------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix-1: Autostart script example MATE_initrc
#!/bin/sh
# Name MATE_initrc
# Purpose Script to be run automatically on login to start up useful programs in MATE desktop
# Usage Normally invoked at login to MATE desktop via: ${HOME}/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop
#
# Author paul[dot]blackburn[at]gmail[dot]com
# Written 2020_03_03
# Updated Thu 12 Mar 18:51:42 GMT 2020
# 2020_03_12 redo position/resize for Chrome and Firefox
# 2020_03_09 bugfix the "cat << \#\#EEOOFF" line - evaluation of ${HOME} via sed
# 2020_03_09 Now reposition and resize Firefox
# 2020_03_08 Added zenity notification on each switch of workspace
# 2020_03_08 Now renaming previous log to <date>_log
# 2020_03_07 Added zenity notifications at start and end of program start section
#
# Example of ${HOME}/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop follows
# cat << \#\#EEOOFF | tail -9 | sed -e "s/^................//" -e "s,\${HOME},${HOME}," > ${HOME}/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop
## [user@localhost ~]$ nl .config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop | sed -e "s/^./## &/"
## 1 [Desktop Entry]
## 2 Name=MATE_autostart
## 3 Comment=MATE_autostart.desktop: invokes script to start programs at login to MATE
## 4 Exec=${HOME}/bin/MATE_initrc
## 5 Icon=mate-desktop
## 6 Terminal=false
## 7 Type=Application
## 8 StartupNotify=false
## 9 X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
##EEOOFF
# To create file MATE_autostart.desktop from the above:
# copy from the "cat" (not including the leading "#") to "##EEOOFF"
# and paste to your shell to create MATE_autostart.desktop.
# Then verify line 4 "Exec" is set to your correct ${HOME}.
#LOCAL localizations: search for "#LOCAL" (below) and modify for your own needs:
# default_notify=Your.email@wherever.org # set to email to be notified of errors
# Note: on older, slower systems may need to increase the pause time "pause=2"
# Disable To disable autostart: delete (or move) ~/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop
# example: mv ~/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop ~/
#
# Re-enable To re-enable, just move the MATE_autostart.desktop file back to ~/.config/autostart/
# example: mv ~/MATE_autostart.desktop ~/.config/autostart/
#
# References:
# https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Configuring_autostart_with_MATE_in_Mageia
# https://specifications.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/latest/ar01s07.html
# https://askubuntu.com/questions/598195/how-to-add-a-script-to-startup-applications-from-the-command-line
# functions -------------------------------------------------------------
usage() {
cat <<eeooff
${cmd} runs commands needed on login and starting MATE desktop
${cmd} is normally run at login via ${HOME}/.config/autostart/MATE_autostart.desktop
Please report bugs/suggestions/comments to: ${default_notify}
eeooff
}
fatal() {
echo "${cmd} fatal: ${1}" >&2
exit 1
}
error() {
echo "${cmd} error: ${1}" >&2
}
warning() {
echo "${cmd} warning: ${1}" >&2
}
tstamp() {
echo $(date +%Y_%m_%d_at_%H:%M:%S) ${cmd}: ${1}
}
doit() {
tstamp "${1}"
eval ${1}
retcode=$?
if [ ${retcode} != 0 ]; then
error "\$?=${retcode}"
fi
}
elapsed_time () {
start=${1}
end=${2}
# echo debug: elapsed_time ${start} ${end}
unset x
unset y
if [ ${start} = ${end} ]; then
echo -n "zero seconds"
fi
let elapsed_seconds=${end}-${start}
let days=${elapsed_seconds}/86400
let days_sec=${days}*86400
let x=${elapsed_seconds}-${days_sec}
let hours=${x}/3600
let hours_sec=${hours}*3600
let x=${days_sec}+${hours_sec}
let y=${elapsed_seconds}-${x}
let mins=${y}/60
let mins_sec=${mins}*60
let x=${days_sec}+${hours_sec}+${mins_sec}
let secs=${elapsed_seconds}-${x}
if [ ${days} != 0 ]; then
if [ ${days} = 1 ]; then
echo -n "1 day "
else
echo -n "${days} days "
fi
fi
if [ ${hours} != 0 ]; then
if [ ${hours} = 1 ]; then
echo -n "1 hour "
else
echo -n "${hours} hours "
fi
fi
if [ ${mins} != 0 ]; then
if [ ${mins} = 1 ]; then
echo -n "1 minute "
else
echo -n "${mins} minutes "
fi
fi
if [ ${secs} != 0 ]; then
if [ ${secs} = 1 ]; then
echo -n "1 second "
else
echo -n "${secs} seconds"
fi
fi
echo
}
trap_cleanup () { # tidy up on receipt of signal (ctrl-C, etc)
tstamp "trap_cleanup commenced"
doit "rm ${lockfile}"
epoch_now=$(date +%s)
tstamp "total duration $(elapsed_time ${start_epoch} ${epoch_now})"
tstamp "trap_cleanup completed"
exit 1
}
# end functions section
# set initial values ----------------------------------------------------------------------
version=8
cmd=$(basename $0)
cmdline="${cmd} $*"
logdir=~/logs
log=${logdir}/${cmd}_log
lockfile=/tmp/${cmd}_lockfile
tempfile=/tmp/${cmd}_tempfile_$$
# Configure the following for your needs: #LOCAL
default_notify=Your.email@wherever.org # set to email to be notified of errors #LOCAL
# main starts here ------------------------------------------------------------------------
start_epoch=$(date +%s)
# set interrupt signal trap routine
for signal in 1 2 3 15; do
trap "echo \"interrupted by signal ${signal}\"; trap_cleanup; exit 1" ${signal}
done
case "${1}" in
-? | -help | -usage | --?| --help | --usage )
usage
exit
;;
esac
mkdir -p ${logdir} 2>/dev/null # make sure we have a $logdir
#echo "stdout and stderr now being written to ${log}+"
exec 4>&2
exec 3>&1
exec 1>${log}+
exec 2>&1
tstamp "commenced $(dirname ${0})/${cmd} version ${version} on $(date '+%a %d %h %y')"
# sanity checking starts here
tstamp "Check we are running on Linux"
os=$(uname)
if [ "${os}" != "Linux" ]; then
fatal "This is ${os} but we want Linux! Bye-bye!"
else
tstamp "Good news: this is Linux and we are happy penguins! :-)"
fi
tstamp "Check for machine type: only supported on x86"
machine=$(uname -m)
case ${machine} in
i386 | i486 | i586 | i686 | x86_64 )
tstamp "Good! Supported machine type: ${machine}"
;;
* )
warning "Hmm? Unknown machine type: ${machine}"
;;
esac
#tstamp "Test for Linux distribution type"
distro="unknown"
file=/etc/redhat-release
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="RedHat"
fi
file=/etc/SuSE-release
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="SuSE"
fi
file=/etc/mandrake-release
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="Mandrake"
fi
file=/etc/mandriva-release
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="Mandriva"
fi
file=/etc/mageia-release
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="Mageia"
fi
file=/etc/debian_version
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="Debian"
fi
file=/etc/slackware-version
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="Slackware"
fi
file=/etc/turbolinux-version
if [ -s ${file} ]; then
distro="TurboLinux"
fi
#tstamp "Test for Linux distribution version"
case ${distro} in
RedHat ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/redhat-release)
;;
SuSE ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/SuSE-release)
;;
Mandrake ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/mandrake-release)
;;
Mandriva ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/mandriva-release)
;;
Mageia ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/mageia-release)
;;
Debian ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/debian_version)
;;
Slackware ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/slackware-version)
;;
TurboLinux ) distro_version=$(cat /etc/turbolinux-version)
;;
* ) distro_version="unknown"
;;
esac
tstamp "Distribution is: ${distro_version}"
# crack command line arguments
while [ ! -z "${1}" ]; do
case ${1} in
-notify )
shift
if [ -z "${1}" ]; then
fatal "missing notify email address"
else
notify=${1}
fi
;;
-notify*)
notify=$(echo ${1} | cut -c8-)
;;
-help | -? | -usage )
usage
exit
;;
*)
warning "unknown command line argument: ${1}"
usage
exit 1
;;
esac
shift
done
if [ -z "${notify}" ]; then
notify=${default_notify}
fi
# If we reached here then it is likely we can complete a normal run
# but we need to switch the logfile.
# Start by renaming an existing previous log by adding a date prefix
if [ -s ${log} ]; then
old_log=$(dirname ${log})/$(date +%Y_%m_%d_at_%H:%M:%S)_$(basename ${log})
doit "mv -f ${log} ${old_log} # rename previous log to <date>_log "
fi
doit "mv ${log}+ ${log} # log cycling"
# end of (most) sanity checking ---------------------------------------
failed="false"
#LOCAL - If you change the programs started in the autostart section then you need to also update "command_list=" below
tstamp "Checking if we have the commands we need"
command_list="mate-terminal gkrellm /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable ${HOME}/Downloads/firefox/firefox wmctrl zenity"
for command in ${command_list}; do
# tstamp "checking we have ${command} command"
which ${command} 2>&1 > /dev/null
if [ $? = 0 ]; then
tstamp "Good, we have ${command}: $(${command} --version)"
else
warning "missing command: ${command}"
warning "Please install ${command} and try again"
failed="true"
fi
done
# At this point, "failed" may have been set to true but we will just do what we can (not exit here)
if [ ${failed} = "true" ]; then
tstamp "Fail detected but attempting to continue"
fi
# Now start the programs we wish to have autostarted on login ---------------------------
#
#LOCAL modify this section as needed to autostart which programs are useful to you
pause=3 # time to pause between switching workspaces for startups #LOCAL
doit "wmctrl -s 0 # switch to workspace 1"
# notify user that MATE_autostart has commenced
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart commenced'"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 1'"
# start multi-tabbed mate terminal
doit "/usr/bin/mate-terminal --geometry=191x84+146+30 --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab &"
# start up gkrellm
doit "/usr/bin/gkrellm --geometry +1800+30 &"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause for mate-terminal and gkrellm to start up"
doit "wmctrl -s 2 # switch to workspace 3"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 3'"
doit "/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable %U &"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause for google-chrome-stable to start up"
doit "wmctrl -i -r $(wmctrl -lp | grep "Google Chrome" | awk '{print $1}') -e 0,150,30,1756,980 # position and resize Google Chrome"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause to let user see reposition and resize of Firefox"
doit "wmctrl -s 3 # switch to workspace 4"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 4'"
doit "~/Downloads/firefox/firefox&"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause to let Firefox start up"
doit "wmctrl -i -r $(wmctrl -lp | grep "Mozilla Firefox"| awk '{print $1}') -e 0,150,30,1756,1024 # position and resize Mozilla Firefox"
doit "sleep ${pause} # pause to let user see reposition and resize of Firefox"
doit "wmctrl -s 0 # switch to workspace 1 - return to workspace with mate-teminal and gkrellm"
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 1'"
doit "sleep ${pause}" # optional: leaves "completed notification on screen a little longer
# notify user that MATE_autostart has completed
doit "zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart completed'"
# tidying up and ending ------------------------------------------------------------------
end_epoch=$(date +%s)
tstamp "total duration $(elapsed_time ${start_epoch} ${end_epoch})"
tstamp "completed"
# Switch stdout and stderr back to report results ONLY if something failed
if [ "${failed}" = "true" ]; then
exec 1>&3
exec 2>&4
< ${log} mail -s "${cmd} on $(hostname)" ${notify}
fi
Appendix-2: example logfile from MATE_initrc
Here is an example of the logfile written when the MATE_initrc script (example above) is run.
Note that if any of the prorgams that are autostarted this way output error messages they will be captured here.
This can be useful to review and research any bugs or issues revealed when programs are auto started. In the example below, error messages about FontService from Google Chrome are captured.
[mpb@localhost ~]$ nl -ba logs/MATE_initrc_log
1 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: commenced /home/mpb/bin/MATE_initrc version 8 on Thu 12 Mar 20
2 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: Check we are running on Linux
3 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: Good news: this is Linux and we are happy penguins! :-)
4 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: Check for machine type: only supported on x86
5 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: Good! Supported machine type: x86_64
6 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: Distribution is: Mageia release 7 (Official) for x86_64
7 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: mv -f /home/mpb/logs/MATE_initrc_log /home/mpb/logs/2020_03_12_at_18:58:23_MATE_initrc_log # rename previous log to <date>_log
8 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: mv /home/mpb/logs/MATE_initrc_log+ /home/mpb/logs/MATE_initrc_log # log cycling
9 2020_03_12_at_18:58:23 MATE_initrc: Checking if we have the commands we need
10 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: Good, we have mate-terminal: MATE Terminal 1.22.1
11 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: Good, we have gkrellm: gkrellm 2.3.10
12 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: Good, we have /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable: Google Chrome 80.0.3987.132
13 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: Good, we have /home/mpb/Downloads/firefox/firefox: Mozilla Firefox 74.0
14 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: Good, we have wmctrl: 1.07
15 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: Good, we have zenity: 3.32.0
16 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: wmctrl -s 0 # switch to workspace 1
17 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart commenced'
18 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 1'
19 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: /usr/bin/mate-terminal --geometry=191x84+146+30 --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab --tab &
20 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: /usr/bin/gkrellm --geometry +1800+30 &
21 2020_03_12_at_18:58:24 MATE_initrc: sleep 3 # pause for mate-terminal and gkrellm to start up
22 2020_03_12_at_18:58:27 MATE_initrc: wmctrl -s 2 # switch to workspace 3
23 2020_03_12_at_18:58:27 MATE_initrc: zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 3'
24 2020_03_12_at_18:58:28 MATE_initrc: /usr/bin/google-chrome-stable %U &
25 2020_03_12_at_18:58:28 MATE_initrc: sleep 3 # pause for google-chrome-stable to start up
26 [24725:24725:0312/185828.376964:ERROR:sandbox_linux.cc(374)] InitializeSandbox() called with multiple threads in process gpu-process.
27 [24750:1:0312/185828.653805:ERROR:child_process_sandbox_support_impl_linux.cc(79)] FontService unique font name matching request did not receive a response.
28 [24750:1:0312/185828.654192:ERROR:child_process_sandbox_support_impl_linux.cc(79)] FontService unique font name matching request did not receive a response.
29 2020_03_12_at_18:58:31 MATE_initrc: wmctrl -i -r 0x00800001 -e 0,150,30,1756,980 # position and resize Google Chrome
30 2020_03_12_at_18:58:31 MATE_initrc: sleep 3 # pause to let user see reposition and resize of Firefox
31 [24799:1:0312/185832.963288:ERROR:child_process_sandbox_support_impl_linux.cc(79)] FontService unique font name matching request did not receive a response.
32 [24799:1:0312/185832.963558:ERROR:child_process_sandbox_support_impl_linux.cc(79)] FontService unique font name matching request did not receive a response.
33 2020_03_12_at_18:58:34 MATE_initrc: wmctrl -s 3 # switch to workspace 4
34 2020_03_12_at_18:58:34 MATE_initrc: zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 4'
35 2020_03_12_at_18:58:34 MATE_initrc: ~/Downloads/firefox/firefox&
36 2020_03_12_at_18:58:34 MATE_initrc: sleep 3 # pause to let Firefox start up
37 2020_03_12_at_18:58:37 MATE_initrc: wmctrl -i -r 0x04400003 -e 0,150,30,1756,1024 # position and resize Mozilla Firefox
38 2020_03_12_at_18:58:37 MATE_initrc: sleep 3 # pause to let user see reposition and resize of Firefox
39 2020_03_12_at_18:58:40 MATE_initrc: wmctrl -s 0 # switch to workspace 1 - return to workspace with mate-teminal and gkrellm
40 2020_03_12_at_18:58:40 MATE_initrc: zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart workspace 1'
41 2020_03_12_at_18:58:40 MATE_initrc: sleep 3
42 2020_03_12_at_18:58:43 MATE_initrc: zenity --notification --title MATE_autostart --text='MATE_autostart completed'
43 2020_03_12_at_18:58:43 MATE_initrc: total duration 20 seconds
44 2020_03_12_at_18:58:43 MATE_initrc: completed
