LightDM login and logout scripts

[johnklemen]

Unfortunately this blog is the best documentation of the session-cleanup-script-option, that I found. That's why I'm posting my solution here.

I wanted a cleanup-possibility on a by-user-basis... this is how i did it:

in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf:

user-session=ubuntu
greeter-session=unity-greeter
session-cleanup-script=/usr/local/bin/lightdm_cleanup.sh

in /usr/local/bin/lightdm_cleanup.sh:

#! /bin/sh
if [ -e $HOME/.lightdm_cleanup.sh ]; then su -c "$HOME/.lightdm_cleanup.sh" $USER; fi

now every user can create his own .lightdm_cleanup.

[Paddy Landau]

I wanted a cleanup-possibility on a by-user-basis... this is how i did it…

Gosh, I had forgotten about this thread! There is another thread where I have done exactly as you have done (see post #9 of that thread).

However, there still remains a problem (post #20):

The script runs when I log out by restarting the machine, but it does not run when I merely log out without restarting. So, restarting will run the script, but logging out and then either logging back in or restarting will not run the script.

I have yet to find a solution to that problem.

[GameX2]

For some reason, I never got this to work.

Here's my lightdm.conf file:

[SeatDefaults]
user-session=ubuntu
greeter-session=unity-greeter
display-setup-script=/etc/lightdm/lightdmxrandr.sh
allow-guest=false
session-setup-script=/home/Scripts/wallpaper_logon.sh
session-cleanup-script=/home/Scripts/wallpaper_logoff.sh

I have an XML file as background, which LightDM does not display (Instead, I can choose a custom background for LightDM!). However, during login, the wallpaper does not fade, and I would love to.

When I log in, LightDM would be supposed to run this script (Yes, my scripts are executables):

#!/bin/sh
sleep 4
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-options 'stretched'
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///usr/share/backgrounds/friendship_v3/background-1.xml

Nothing happen. Running the script manually, or adding it to startup applications work, however...

And at logoff, I want to change it back to LightDM background:

#!/bin/sh
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///usr/share/backgrounds/LoginWallpaper4.jpg
sleep 2
gnome-session-quit --no-prompt

gnome-session-quit --no-prompt actually logoff properly, if I run the script manually.

This is really confusing. Where are my wallpapers supposed to be located? In my Home, or in /Etc/Lightdm ? Same question for the login and logoff scripts ?

Thank you!

[Paddy Landau]

GameX2, I'm not entirely sure about your situation. I have two questions:

1. Which version of Ubuntu are you using?
2. Why do you have the sleep commands in your scripts? Try doing this again without the sleep.

[GameX2]

GameX2, I'm not entirely sure about your situation. I have two questions:

1. Which version of Ubuntu are you using?
2. Why do you have the sleep commands in your scripts? Try doing this again without the sleep.

Thanks for your reply.

I now use Ubuntu 13.04, but I also have Ubuntu 12.04 installed on the same computer. I can't get it to work on both versions.

I can put my script "LoginWallpaper.sh" in my startup applications, and it's working. The reason why I have to put the sleep command, is that otherwise, I login, and the background immediately change (Right now, without any delay. I don't see the background fading). I want to avoid such a rapid change. My goal: I have a custom LightDM background - when I login, I still see the LightDM background, then 3-4 seconds later, the background fade to my XML.

If I run the script Wallpaper_Logoff.sh manually, which set my Desktop background identical to the LightDM background and log me out automatically, this work. But I can't make the script run everytime I logoff/reboot/shutdown.

A workaround would probably be to run this script, only at login:

gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///usr/share/backgrounds/LoginWallpaper4.jpg
sleep 4
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-options 'stretched'
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture-uri file:///usr/share/backgrounds/friendship_v3/background-1.xml

At login, I assume LightDM would immediately change my desktop background to the current LightDM background (This sentence sound weird.. Well, my current Desktop background would be identical to the LightDM background). Then 4 seconds later, when the Desktop will appear, the background should fade to the other one.

Can I even run the command " gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture " from LightDM at all ? I've tried so many times, and never got it working. Even tried changing ownership of the backgrounds to root or "LightDM", no luck.


Thank you very much.

[Paddy Landau]

Can I even run the command " gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.background picture " from LightDM at all?

That's a good question. Remember that LightDM runs as root, as I recall, so you'd have to run gsettings as yourself:

su "${USER}" --command gsettings…

Beware if you have other users on the same computer, as the code will affect them. You can put in a condition (replace gamex2 with your user name):

if [[ "${USER}" == 'gamex2' ]]
then
        su "${USER}" --command gsettings…
fi

This is not something that I have tried, particularly XML wallpaper (I didn't realise that it was possible), so I cannot be sure that this will work.