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Debian Startup Applications

Introduction​

When you boot up your Debian system, several applications and services automatically start in the background. These startup applications provide essential functionality but can also impact your system's boot time and overall performance. Understanding how to manage these startup applications is a crucial skill for customizing your Debian experience.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to:

  • View currently configured startup applications
  • Add new applications to startup
  • Remove unwanted applications from startup
  • Create custom startup scripts
  • Understand the different startup mechanisms in Debian

Understanding Startup Mechanisms in Debian​

Debian uses several methods to start applications automatically:

  1. Systemd Services: The primary service manager in modern Debian
  2. Desktop Environment Autostart: Applications that start with your desktop environment
  3. Init Scripts: Traditional startup scripts (less common in modern Debian)
  4. User Configuration: Per-user startup applications

Let's visualize how these mechanisms work together:

Managing Desktop Environment Startup Applications​

Most Debian desktop environments provide a graphical interface to manage startup applications.

Using the GUI Autostart Manager​

Depending on your desktop environment, you'll find a startup application manager:

  • GNOME: Settings → Apps → Startup Applications
  • KDE Plasma: System Settings → Startup and Shutdown → Autostart
  • Xfce: Settings → Session and Startup → Application Autostart
  • MATE: Control Center → Startup Applications
  • Cinnamon: Preferences → Startup Applications

Let's use GNOME as an example:

  1. Open the Activities overview and search for "Startup Applications"
  2. Click "Add" to add a new startup item
  3. Provide a name, command, and optional comment
  4. Click "Add" to save the new startup item

Understanding .desktop Files​

Startup applications are defined by .desktop files located in the autostart directories:

  • System-wide: /etc/xdg/autostart/
  • User-specific: ~/.config/autostart/

Let's examine a typical .desktop file:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=/usr/bin/firefox
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name[en_US]=Firefox Web Browser
Name=Firefox Web Browser
Comment[en_US]=Start Firefox automatically when I log in
Comment=Start Firefox automatically when I log in

Creating Custom Startup Applications​

You can create your own .desktop file to start any application:

  1. Create a new file in ~/.config/autostart/ with a .desktop extension
  2. Add the required information using a text editor:
bash
mkdir -p ~/.config/autostart
nano ~/.config/autostart/myapp.desktop

Add the following content:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=/path/to/your/application
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name=My Application
Comment=Starts my custom application at login

Save and close the file. Your application will now start automatically when you log in.

Managing System Services with Systemd​

For system-level services, Debian uses systemd. These services start before or during the login process.

Listing Enabled Services​

To see which services are enabled to start at boot:

bash
systemctl list-unit-files --state=enabled

Example output:

UNIT FILE                                  STATE   
accounts-daemon.service                    enabled
apparmor.service                           enabled
avahi-daemon.service                       enabled
bluetooth.service                          enabled
...

Enabling a Service​

To enable a service to start at boot:

bash
sudo systemctl enable service-name.service

For example, to enable the SSH server:

bash
sudo systemctl enable ssh.service

Output:

Synchronizing state of ssh.service with SysV service script with /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable ssh
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/ssh.service → /lib/systemd/system/ssh.service.

Disabling a Service​

To prevent a service from starting at boot:

bash
sudo systemctl disable service-name.service

For example, to disable the Bluetooth service:

bash
sudo systemctl disable bluetooth.service

Output:

Removed /etc/systemd/system/dbus-org.bluez.service.
Removed /etc/systemd/system/bluetooth.target.wants/bluetooth.service.

Creating a Custom System Service​

You can create your own system service by defining a service unit file:

  1. Create a new service file:
bash
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/myservice.service
  1. Add the service definition:
[Unit]
Description=My Custom Service
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=yourusername
ExecStart=/path/to/your/script.sh
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
  1. Enable the service:
bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable myservice.service
sudo systemctl start myservice.service

Managing User Session Startup Scripts​

The .bashrc Approach​

For terminal applications, you can add commands to your .bashrc file:

bash
nano ~/.bashrc

Add your commands at the end of the file:

bash
# Start my custom application
if [ -f /path/to/myapp ]; then
    nohup /path/to/myapp &>/dev/null &
fi

Using the .xprofile File​

For graphical applications that should start before your desktop environment:

bash
nano ~/.xprofile

Add your commands:

bash
# Start compositor
picom -b

# Start network manager applet
nm-applet &

Debugging Startup Issues​

If you're experiencing problems with startup applications, you can:

  1. Check the system logs:
bash
journalctl -b | grep application-name
  1. Create a startup script with logging:
bash
#!/bin/bash
# Save this as ~/.config/autostart/debug-script.sh
echo "Starting debug at $(date)" >> ~/startup-debug.log
/path/to/problematic/app >> ~/startup-debug.log 2>&1
echo "Finished at $(date)" >> ~/startup-debug.log

Make it executable:

bash
chmod +x ~/.config/autostart/debug-script.sh

Create a .desktop file to run it:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=/home/yourusername/.config/autostart/debug-script.sh
Hidden=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name=Debug Script
Comment=Debug startup issues

Optimizing Startup Applications for Better Performance​

Too many startup applications can slow down your system boot time. Here are some tips to optimize:

  1. Measure boot time:
bash
systemd-analyze
  1. Identify slow services:
bash
systemd-analyze blame
  1. Disable unnecessary services:
bash
sudo systemctl disable bluetooth.service
sudo systemctl disable cups.service  # If you don't use a printer
  1. Delay non-critical applications:

Create a delayed startup script:

bash
#!/bin/bash
# Save as ~/.config/autostart/delayed-start.sh
sleep 30
/path/to/non-critical/app &

Make it executable and create a .desktop file for it.

Practical Examples​

Example 1: Setting Up a Development Environment​

Let's create a startup script that prepares a development environment:

bash
#!/bin/bash
# Save as ~/.config/autostart/dev-environment.sh

# Start development tools
code ~/projects &  # VS Code
firefox "http://localhost:8000" &  # Local development server

# Start database
sudo systemctl start postgresql

echo "Development environment started!"

Make it executable:

bash
chmod +x ~/.config/autostart/dev-environment.sh

Create the .desktop file:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=/home/yourusername/.config/autostart/dev-environment.sh
Hidden=false
X-GNOME-Autostart-enabled=true
Name=Development Environment
Comment=Set up my development environment at login

Example 2: Custom System Monitoring​

Let's set up a system monitoring service that runs at startup:

bash
#!/bin/bash
# Save as /usr/local/bin/system-monitor.sh

while true; do
    date >> /var/log/system-stats.log
    echo "Memory usage:" >> /var/log/system-stats.log
    free -h >> /var/log/system-stats.log
    echo "Disk usage:" >> /var/log/system-stats.log
    df -h / /home >> /var/log/system-stats.log
    echo "--------------------" >> /var/log/system-stats.log
    sleep 3600  # Run every hour
done

Make it executable:

bash
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/system-monitor.sh

Create a systemd service file:

bash
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/system-monitor.service

Add the service definition:

[Unit]
Description=Custom System Monitoring
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/system-monitor.sh
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start the service:

bash
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable system-monitor.service
sudo systemctl start system-monitor.service

Summary​

In this tutorial, you've learned how to:

  • Manage desktop environment startup applications
  • Create custom .desktop files for autostart
  • Control system services with systemd
  • Write custom startup scripts
  • Debug startup issues
  • Optimize your system's startup performance

By mastering these techniques, you can customize your Debian system to automatically set up your preferred working environment while ensuring optimal performance.

Additional Resources​

Exercises​

  1. Create a startup script that backs up your important documents to a designated folder every time you log in.
  2. Write a systemd service that periodically checks your system's temperature and logs warnings if it exceeds a threshold.
  3. Identify the three slowest services in your boot process and research whether they can be safely disabled or optimized.
  4. Create a delayed startup configuration for non-essential applications to improve your initial login experience.

If you spot any mistakes on this website, please let me know at [email protected]. I’d greatly appreciate your feedback! :)