Role runonce

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Summary

Schedules so called “userspace application” scripts to run once (by each user), upon first login of the user.

Requires

• Linux flavor operating system.
• bash or zsh shell.

Description

Bash/zsh scripts that need to run can be placed in directory /etc/runonce.d, either directly or within a subdirectory. Upon the user’s first login, the scripts will be run (only once) in sequence, sorted alphabetically by pathname.

Script(s) output (stdout and stderr) is saved in a file ~/.runonce.log.

How it works

The script /etc/profile.d/runonce.sh is triggered whenever a user starts a login shell. The script checks whether the shell is also an interactive shell, and executes the scripts in /etc/runonce.d/ if so.

On Desktop workspaces, /etc/profile.d/runonce.sh is triggered by a special .desktop item placed in /etc/xdg/autostart, which is started every time a user logs in to the desktop.

History

2021 Written by Ton Smeele (Utrecht University)

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