Want to auto start programs for all user profiles in Ubuntu? This post is going to show you the easiest way to do it. If configured correctly, everytime a user signs into Ubuntu the program will automatically launch and open, even for newly created users.
Windows and maybe Mac OS X have the same features. To automatically startup applications in Windows, you can use regedit –> run or create a shortcut of the program in the startup folder. More is @ https://liberiangeek.net/2013/01/how-to-automatically-start-programs-in-windows-8/
What if you want to do the same in Ubuntu – automatically start up applications for users? There are two ways to do it. You can set it up for per-user profile, where the programs only open up for select users who are setup for it and other users won’t be affected.
Or set it up system-wide so all users are affected. This blog post is going to show you how to set it up system-wide so that all users are affected.
Before you start, learn this. By default, programs executable desktop icons are stored in the location below.
/usr/share/applications/
And they end with .desktop file extension. Almost all program will have their desktop executable in that location. So the auto startup a particular program which has its .desktop executable in /usr/share/applications, just create a symbolic link in the location below to automatically start it everytime a user signs in.
/etc/xdg/autostart/
For example, I just installed TeamViewer which also has its .desktop extension in there. If I want TeamViewer to startup everytime I sign in, I will run the commands below which creates a symbolic link of its .desktop for TeamViewer in /etc/xdg/autostart/.
sudo ln -s /usr/share/applications/teamviewer-teamviewer8.desktop /etc/xdg/autostart/
That’s it! Restart your computer and the programs you configured should start up automatically when you sign in.
To start up per-user profile, read this post @ https://liberiangeek.net/2010/09/automatically-start-programs-services-login-ubuntu-10-10-maverick-meerkat/
In Ubuntu 13.04, you must open Dash and search for Startup Applications.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to automatically startup programs for all users in Ubuntu 13.04?
To automatically startup programs for all users in Ubuntu 13.04, you can create symbolic links of the program's .desktop file in the /etc/xdg/autostart/ directory.
What is the default location for program executable desktop icons in Ubuntu?
The default location for program executable desktop icons in Ubuntu is /usr/share/applications/ and they end with the .desktop file extension.
How can I make a program launch automatically when a user signs into Ubuntu?
You can make a program launch automatically when a user signs into Ubuntu by creating a symbolic link of its .desktop file in the /etc/xdg/autostart/ directory.
How to set up auto startup applications for all user profiles in Ubuntu?
To set up auto startup applications for all user profiles in Ubuntu, you need to create symbolic links of the program's .desktop files in the /etc/xdg/autostart/ directory.
Where can I find the .desktop executable files for programs in Ubuntu?
You can find the .desktop executable files for programs in Ubuntu in the /usr/share/applications/ directory.
What is the process to automatically start programs for newly created users in Ubuntu?
To automatically start programs for newly created users in Ubuntu, you can create symbolic links of the program's .desktop file in the /etc/xdg/autostart/ directory.
How to auto start applications system-wide in Ubuntu?
To auto start applications system-wide in Ubuntu, create symbolic links of the program's .desktop files in the /etc/xdg/autostart/ directory so that all users are affected.
Is there a way to configure auto startup of applications for select users in Ubuntu?
Yes, you can configure auto startup of applications for select users in Ubuntu by setting it up per-user profile where only specific users have the programs open automatically.
