Signal-desktop: [Wish] Option to start / boot with system startup

[MartinX3]

• [X] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates

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Bug description

I want a option to start the signal app when i start my pc and login.

Platform info

Operating System: Ubuntu Mate x64 17.10

[TheMegaDriver]

Also, a run in background option would be nice. This way I can get notifications without having the program open.
Just like skype and many other applications has it.

[pkorba]

Yes, it would be nice to have such an option in Signal. However, you can make any program start on system startup even if the program doesn't provide that option.
AFAIK on Ubuntu-MATE you go to Control Centre > Personal > Startup Applications and add a command in Startup Programs tab:

Name: Signal
Command: signal-desktop

On Windows you add a program to autostart by adding a shortcut of a program in a hidden "Startup" folder that is located in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup
To open the “Startup” folder, hit Windows+R to open the "Run" box, type shell:startup, and press Enter. Then create a shortcut of Signal Desktop and put that shortcut into the "Startup" folder.

If devs don't plan to implement that preference in Signal options then it would be nice to write a post in FAQ explaining how to add Signal to programs launched on system startup.

[christianfl]

You could also have a look at https://askubuntu.com/questions/663187/how-can-i-run-a-program-on-startup-minimized to see how you can start it minimized so that the window doesn't show up on startup.

[akashnimare]

This is pretty easy using node-auto-launch. Implemented the same in zulip-electron.

[alindt]

@MartinX3 and @ondondil, auto launch is pretty straightforward in MATE when the app provides a launcher in the menu:

1. menu
2. search "signal"
3. right-click on launcher
4. auto-launch (or something like this)

[MartinX3]

@alindt
I have a regular startmenu on Ubuntu MATE 17.10, no "search" input field.
The only "search" input field I get is while using "synapse" (mac spotlight clone).
And when I right-click I can only add it to the panel or the desktop, there is no auto-launch option.

[alindt]

@MartinX3, true, it seems you need to enable the advanced menu first:

Control Center > MATE Tweak > Interface > Enable advanced menu

...and then:

[MartinX3]

@alindt You are right, but the, in my opinion, important question is:
Why should I modify the Linux-GUI I chosed on my own, because of a single app?

I work as an informatics engineer and can set the autostart on my own, even without MATE.
I can write startup scripts for init, systemV and systemd.
But most of the user doesn't want to mess with their system or search a way to set the autostart on their own.
They want a easy way, they don't want to be an informatics engineer, don't want t change their system gui layout.
They want an easy way, like in the windows world, where in app options exist to let the app autostart with the system boot.

I prefer my own menu with the 3 fields "Applications, Places, System" in combination with 'synapse' over the advanced menu.
And I prefer a option inside the app, which make an entry into the system auto start list.

PS:
Thank you for your help. :)

[justinkterry]

Any updates on this issue? This has been open for more than a year now.

[Xaeroxe]

I'm interested in implementing this feature. Though my implementation would only work on OSX and Windows. I'd use this API: https://electronjs.org/docs/api/app#appsetloginitemsettingssettings-macos-windows

[justinkterry]

How does slack do it? They're also electron based and theirs works on Linux
as well. The user base on Linux for something like this is really big and
shouldn't be ignored.

On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 4:33 PM Jacob Kiesel [e-mail]
wrote:

I'm interested in implementing this feature. Though my implementation
would only work on OSX and Windows. I'd use this API:
https://electronjs.org/docs/api/app#appsetloginitemsettingssettings-macos-windows

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[Xaeroxe]

I found this: https://www.npmjs.com/package/auto-launch

Which seems to work great for our use case, so I'll go with it.

[justinkterry]

Awesome, God speed

On Mon, May 20, 2019 at 7:57 PM Jacob Kiesel [e-mail]
wrote:

I found this: https://www.npmjs.com/package/auto-launch

Which seems to work great for our use case, so I'll go with it.

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[Xaeroxe]

Implemented in #3355

[t-makaro]

I ended up using windows task scheduler to launch

%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Programs\signal-desktop\signal.exe --start-in-tray

on log on to solve this for me (windows only of course). Not having this by default will hinder people switching from other apps.

[JamieMBragg]

t-makaro's workaround can be slightly shortened, thought it was worth posting as it fits better (readable at a glance) in a task's action box.

%LocalAppData%\Programs\signal-desktop\signal.exe --start-in-tray

[trajano]

Scoop version

%UserProfile%\scoop\apps\signal\current\Signal.exe --start-in-tray

[Xaeroxe]

My last PR for this was closed because it added a dependency which was deemed impractical to audit for security problems.

Since then Electron has added their own API for accomplishing this: https://www.electronjs.org/docs/api/app#appsetloginitemsettingssettings-macos-windows

So it seems like this could probably be implemented pretty quickly now.