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hiigaran
Asked: 2018-08-27 05:28:57 +0800 CST

Can scripts be run directly from the ~/.config/autostart folder?

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I've got a script file in my home directory that I've added to Startup Applications. It then creates a .desktop file in ~/.config/autostart. Is it possible to just cut out the middle man, and run this script directly from the autostart folder?

The structure of the script is along the lines of:

command1
command2
command3

I tried making it one line by rearranging the script to read:

command1;command2;command3

The idea behind this was to swap out the following line in the .desktop file from this:

Exec=/home/hiigaran/startupfile

To this:

Exec=command1;command2;command3

This doesn't seem to work. I'm guessing multiple commands aren't supported. Is there any other way?

To be clear, I don't have any particular problem with the current way I'm doing things. Everything functions as it should. I'm just very particular about my home directory contents. If there is a more elegant way to run my script after logging in to the desktop, great. If not, no big deal.

To my understanding, KDE has a ~/.config/autostart-scripts directory that would work perfectly for me. This seems to be a folder found only in KDE however. I'm using the default DE for Ubuntu 18.04.

scripts autostart

2 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Instead of Exec=command1;command2;command3 try

    Exec=sh -c "command1;command2;command3"
    • 5

  2. I would strongly advise against this sort of thing as you end up forgetting why you jumped through hoops you didn't need to.

    Simply create a shell script containing your multiple commands and stick that in whatever local "bin" you use (typically ~/bin) chmod 755 it and reference THAT in your .desktop file.

    It will, of course, be properly laid out, commented and maybe even be in your bin git repo ;)

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