Startup list does not save changes randomly

[Victor Marin]

Binary package hint: gnome-session

Hi,
gnome-session-properties sometimes fails saving changes in the Startup list.

As example, when adding a new launcher it does not save changes, or the added application then fails to start with Ubuntu.

One has to try twice, three or more times or has to re-edit the new launcher (even with the same info or parameters) for finally getting it to go the correct way the next login.

Or, then, if one unchecks the box for some application not starting automatically when Ubuntu does... it does not save the change and the next time one opens the Startup list the box of such application continues checked.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Feb 18 14:13:20 2010
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
ExecutablePath: /usr/bin/gnome-session
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
Package: gnome-session-bin 2.28.0-0ubuntu5
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=es_ES.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-19.56-generic
SourcePackage: gnome-session
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-19-generic x86_64

[Tomi Leppänen (tomin)]

I've also noticed that if I remove a mark from a program it will still run in next startup/login. If I remove it, it will work for sure (=the program won't be starting).
I'm also runing amd64 Ubuntu 9.10.

[Tomi Leppänen (tomin)]

Seems to work correctly in Lucid.

[reh4c (gene-hoffler)]

I seem to have a related problem. I'm trying to add custom applications to startup by adding them to "Startup Applications" in Ubuntu Netbook Remix 10.04. However, after closing Startup Applications, my custom startup command is not there. For example, I want the Onboard onscreen keyboard to startup automatically at login, but it won't save under "Startup Applications." Please help.

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

I can reproduce this every single time in 11.04, Natty. My original bug is https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/806039, marked as a duplicate of this one.

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

Turns out that my ~/.config/autostart directory was owned root:root. As soon as I set this to my username & group, it started working again. Make sure that the permissions & ownership are set properly.

[LANZen (neil-robinson)]

I've found this issue occurs with Chromium when running 11.04 32-bit and Classic desktop. You can add it to the startup applications and it may - or may not survive a reboot.

Here's how I tested it. I opened the main menu applet, went to Properties and copied over the working settings used to start Chromium.

I loaded these into the new launcher section of the Startup Application applet. I closed the applet.

I opened the applet again and the Chromium launcher was still there.

I rebooted. Chromium would usually start. Subsequent reboots it would not. And the launcher would vanish from the startup applications.

Additionally, Chromium would not respond to the request to become the default browser when it asked on startup - but would if set in preferred applications!

How can it be a permissions issue if it can survive one reboot but not another?

[Colan Schwartz (colan)]

> How can it be a permissions issue if it can survive one reboot but not another?

Then I suppose we're looking at multiple problems here.

[Jukka Niiranen (jukka-niiranen-fi)]

I can confirm this!

I am running a clean install of Ubuntu 11.04 64bit classic desktop, with all updates (31.8.2011). After adding a program to the Startup Applications everything looks good. After the first restart the set program starts up automatically as expected. But after that the ~/config/autostart folder is empty and on the second restart the set program does not start up anymore.

In my case ~/.config/autostart folder was already owned by the username:username and the permissions were: drwx------. I changed the permissions to Drwxrwxrwx, but no effect.

As a background, I am building a information Kiosk, so the Ubuntu is set to login automatically and the program I am trying to automatically launch at the startup is Chromium Browser. The command I'm using in Startup Applications is: "/usr/bin/chromium-browser --kiosk http://www.amusa.fi/ruutu/etela-karjala"

WORKAROUND
================
To stop the Startup Application setting from disappearing I used the following procedure. This is not a fix, but I am able to live with this workaround:
1. Set the Startup Application normally [in my case chromium-browser]
2. Set the permissions of ~/.config/autostart folder to: dr-xr-xr-x (chmod 555 autostart)
3. Set the permissions of ~/.config/autostart/chromium-browser.desktop to : -r--r--r-- (chmod 444 filename) [chromium-browser.desktop is the startup settings file the application I want to startup]

This workaround seems to work for me. Naturally I'm now unable to add more Startup Applications...

-Jukka-

[thecapsaicinkid (thecapsaicinkid)]

Clean install of 10.04 and I am also unable to get an entry for '/usr/bin/chromium-browser %U' to persist in the Startup Applications beyond a reboot.

[dino99 (9d9)]

That version is no more supported