Linux client adds itself to autostart on every launch, with no way to disable this behavior

[iliazeus]

Describe the bug Every time the linux client is launched, it adds itself to XDG autostart (~/.config/autostart) with no ability to disable this from inside the client itself.

To Reproduce Launch the linux appimage.

Expected behavior Either of: only add to autostart on first launch, prompt the user before doing so, or add an option to disable this

Client System (please complete the following information):

• Outline Client Version: Linux 1.8.1
• Your Operating System: Arch Linux

[jekatigr]

Same issue with 1.9.0 on Ubuntu.

UPD:

.desktop file is created every time on server connect, but it couldn't be removed for some reason on disconnect (teardown function doesn't work properly I guess). Root cause might be in auto-launch package which seems to be abandoned for a several years.

[NektoNektovich]

**Опишите ошибку ** Каждый раз, когда клиент Linux запускается, он добавляет себя в автозапуск XDG ( ~/.config/autostart) без возможности отключить это внутри самого клиента.

**Воспроизвести ** Запустите приложение Linux.

**Ожидаемое поведение ** Любой из вариантов: добавить в автозапуск только при первом запуске, запросить пользователя перед этим или добавить параметр для отключения этого

**Клиентская система (пожалуйста, заполните следующую информацию): **

• Версия клиента Outline: Linux 1.8.1
• Ваша операционная система: ArchLinux.

already version 1.10, but the autorun settings have not been done, although this setting must be in the vpn client

[NektoNektovich]

after each use of the outline client, closing it from the tray does not help, turn off its autorun with the operating system, you have to go to the list of applications in autorun to remove it from there. Due to the lack of autorun settings, I don’t even want to use the outline client 😫

[marat-y]

can we do something with this please? really annoying

[iliazeus]

My workaround on Linux, for the time being, is this:

I replaced the contents of ~/.config/autostart/Outline-Client.AppImage.desktop with this:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Version=1.0
Name=Outline-Client.AppImage (disabled)
Comment=Outline-Client.AppImage startup script (disabled)
#Exec=/home/iliazeus/AppImages/Outline-Client.AppImage
Exec=/bin/true
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false

Then I made it read-only with chmod a-w ~/.config/autostart/Outline-Client.AppImage.desktop.

This way, on startup /bin/true is launched instead of Outline, and just exits immediately. And since it's read-only, Outline can't "correct" it to start itself.

[a13xk]

Brilliant workaround, @iliazeus thanks a lot! That non-obvious behavior with autostart really pissed me off.

[NektoNektovich]

Я перешёл на вариант получше, чем outline, у которого гораздо больше протоколов шифрования и подключения. Nekoray для десктопа и nekobox для андроид. https://github.com/MatsuriDayo

[NaomiCode]

My workaround on Linux, for the time being, is this:

I replaced the contents of ~/.config/autostart/Outline-Client.AppImage.desktop with this:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Version=1.0
Name=Outline-Client.AppImage (disabled)
Comment=Outline-Client.AppImage startup script (disabled)
#Exec=/home/iliazeus/AppImages/Outline-Client.AppImage
Exec=/bin/true
StartupNotify=false
Terminal=false

Then I made it read-only with chmod a-w ~/.config/autostart/Outline-Client.AppImage.desktop.

This way, on startup /bin/true is launched instead of Outline, and just exits immediately. And since it's read-only, Outline can't "correct" it to start itself.

thanks a lot for this precise response