{ "id": "e4e98d13-eaf6-4644-bd6c-1e8858abd238", "created_at": "2026-04-06T15:52:36.837662Z", "updated_at": "2026-04-10T03:21:29.029487Z", "deleted_at": null, "sha1_hash": "9fe98ba55bf78d52b1f345abfbe8434ce183e9ca", "title": "Desktop Application Autostart Specification", "llm_title": "", "authors": "", "file_creation_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_modification_date": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "file_size": 63457, "plain_text": "Desktop Application Autostart Specification\r\nBy John Palmieri \u003cjohnp@redhat.com\u003e\r\nArchived: 2026-04-06 15:47:37 UTC\r\nAuthors:\r\nKévin Ottens \u003cervin@ipsquad.net\u003e\r\nRenato Caldas \u003cseventhguardian_@hotmail.com\u003e\r\nRodrigo Moya \u003crodrigo@gnome-db.org\u003e\r\nWaldo Bastian \u003cbastian@kde.org\u003e\r\nPublication Date: 13 February 2006, Version: Version 0.5\r\n1 Introduction #\r\nThis DRAFT document defines a method for automatically starting applications during the startup of a desktop\r\nenvironment and after mounting a removable medium.\r\nSome of the file locations in this specification are specified based on the \"desktop base directory specification\"\r\n(http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/).\r\nThe key words \"MUST\", \"MUST NOT\", \"REQUIRED\", \"SHALL\", \"SHALL NOT\", \"SHOULD\", \"SHOULD\r\nNOT\", \"RECOMMENDED\", \"MAY\", and \"OPTIONAL\" in this document are to be interpreted as described in\r\nRFC 2119.\r\n2 Autostart Of Applications During Startup #\r\nBy placing an application's .desktop file in one of the Autostart directories the application will be automatically\r\nlaunched during startup of the user's desktop environment after the user has logged in.\r\n2.2 Application .desktop Files #\r\nAn application .desktop file must have the format as defined in the \"Desktop Entry Specification\"\r\n(http://standards.freedesktop.org/desktop-entry-spec/). All keys should be interpreted as defined with the\r\nfollowing exceptions in order to take into account that the .desktop files in an autostart directory are not shown\r\nin a menu.\r\n2.2.1 Hidden Key #\r\nhttps://specifications.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html\r\nPage 1 of 3\n\nWhen the .desktop file has the Hidden key set to true, the .desktop file MUST be ignored. When multiple\r\n.desktop files with the same name exists in multiple directories then only the Hidden key in the most important\r\n.desktop file must be considered: If it is set to true all .desktop files with the same name in the other\r\ndirectories MUST be ignored as well.\r\n2.2.2 OnlyShowIn and NotShowIn Keys #\r\nThe OnlyShowIn entry may contain a list of strings identifying the desktop environments that MUST autostart\r\nthis application, all other desktop environments MUST NOT autostart this application.\r\nThe NotShowIn entry may contain a list of strings identifying the desktop environments that MUST NOT\r\nautostart this application, all other desktop environments MUST autostart this application.\r\nOnly one of these keys, either OnlyShowIn or NotShowIn , may appear in a single .desktop file.\r\n2.2.3 TryExec Key #\r\nA .desktop file with a non-empty TryExec field MUST NOT be autostarted if the value of the TryExec key\r\ndoes NOT match with an installed executable program. The value of the TryExec field may either be an absolute\r\npath or the name of an executable without any path components. If the name of an executable is specified without\r\nany path components then the $PATH environment is searched to find a matching executable program.\r\n2.3 Implementation Notes #\r\nIf an application autostarts by having a .desktop file installed in the system wide autostart directory, an\r\nindividual user can disable the automatic start of this application by placing a .desktop file of the same name in\r\ntheir personal autostart directory which contains the key Hidden=true .\r\n3 Autostart Of Applications After Mount #\r\nWhen a desktop environment mounts a new medium, the medium may contain an Autostart file that can suggest to\r\nstart an application or an Autoopen file that can suggest to open a specific file located on the medium.\r\n3.1 Autostart Files #\r\nWhen a new medium is mounted the root directory of the medium should be checked for the following Autostart\r\nfiles in order of precedence:\r\n.autorun\r\nautorun\r\nautorun.sh\r\nOnly the first file that is present should be considered.\r\nhttps://specifications.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html\r\nPage 2 of 3\n\nThe desktop environment MAY ignore Autostart files altogether based on policy set by the user, system\r\nadministrator or vendor.\r\nThe desktop environment MUST prompt the user for confirmation before automatically starting an application.\r\nWhen an Autostart file has been detected and the user has confirmed its execution the autostart file MUST be\r\nexecuted with the current working directory (CWD) set to the root directory of the medium.\r\n3.2 Autoopen Files #\r\nWhen a new medium is mounted and a) the medium does not contain an Autostart file or b) a policy to ignore\r\nAutostart files is in effect then the root directory of the medium should be checked for the following Autoopen\r\nfiles in order of precedence:\r\n.autoopen\r\nautoopen\r\nOnly the first file that is present should be considered.\r\nThe desktop environment MAY ignore Autoopen files altogether based on policy set by the user, system\r\nadministrator or vendor.\r\nAn Autoopen file MUST contain a single relative path that points to a non-executable file contained on the\r\nmedium. If the file contains a newline or carriage return character then the newline or carriage return character\r\nitself and all characters that follow MUST be ignored.\r\nThe relative path MUST NOT contain path components that refer to a parent directory ( ../ )\r\nThe relative path MUST NOT point to an executable file.\r\nThe desktop environment MUST verify that the relative path points to a file that is actually located on the\r\nmedium, taking into account any symbolic or other links and MUST ignore any relative path that points to a file\r\nlocation outside the medium itself.\r\nIf the relative path points to an executable file then the desktop environment MUST NOT execute the file.\r\nThe desktop environment MUST prompt the user for confirmation before opening the file.\r\nWhen an Autoopen file has been detected and the user has confirmed that the file indicated in the Autoopen file\r\nshould be opened then the file indicated in the Autoopen file MUST be opened in the application normally\r\npreferred by the user for files of its kind UNLESS the user instructed otherwise.\r\nSource: https://specifications.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html\r\nhttps://specifications.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html\r\nPage 3 of 3", "extraction_quality": 1, "language": "EN", "sources": [ "MITRE" ], "references": [ "https://specifications.freedesktop.org/autostart-spec/autostart-spec-latest.html" ], "report_names": [ "autostart-spec-latest.html" ], "threat_actors": [], "ts_created_at": 1775490756, "ts_updated_at": 1775791289, "ts_creation_date": 0, "ts_modification_date": 0, "files": { "pdf": "https://archive.orkl.eu/9fe98ba55bf78d52b1f345abfbe8434ce183e9ca.pdf", "text": "https://archive.orkl.eu/9fe98ba55bf78d52b1f345abfbe8434ce183e9ca.txt", "img": "https://archive.orkl.eu/9fe98ba55bf78d52b1f345abfbe8434ce183e9ca.jpg" } }