Starting things from a script - or similar, how?

[Chris G]

On Sun, Feb 22, 2009 at 02:01:19PM +0100, Mike Massonnet wrote:
> Le Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:19:05 +0000,
> Chris G <cl at isbd.net> a écrit :
> 
> > For some things it would be easier to start applicatons from a
> > 'start-up script' rather than using the session saving abilities of
> > xfce.
> > 
> > Is there a correct/sensible way of doing this?
> > 
> 
> In Xfce 4.6 you have xfce4-session-settings (menu>settings>sessions).
> In that dialog you have a tab "application autostart" what is known as
> xfce4-autostart-editor in Xfce 4.4
> 
Hmmm, it's not really *intended* for what I want to do though is it,
it's for running background tasks.

I want to be able to do stuff like:-

    +  "I" Exec /home/chris/bin/astime
    +  "I" Exec /home/chris/bin/firefox
    +  "I" Exec gnome-panel
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t DevA --geometry 84x36+0+0
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t DevB --geometry 84x36+0-0
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t Browser --geometry +0+0
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t Mail/News --geometry 80x76+0+0
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t Home --geometry 110x72-0-0
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t Windows --geometry +0+0
    +  "I" Exec gnome-terminal -t Reminders --geometry 100x10-0+100

OK, this is from an fvwm configuration file but you get the idea,
currently I use the xfce4 sessions to manage most of this but I'm
wanting to add more subtle stuff now like starting up and shutting
down VirtualBox.  It would be *much* easier to do this with a pair of
scripts one of which is run immediately after X starts and the other
of which executes just before X closes down.

Being able to edit a straightforward text file to do this sort of
stuff is *so* much easier than filling boxes in a GUI and/or selecting
options when you shut down and/or start up.

I have to say actually that the major reason that I'm using xfce now
is that it provides a more 'standard' ubuntu setup and I like the
window manager decorations.  I'm seriously hankering after the ease of
configuration of something like fvwm.

-- 
Chris Green