Autostart

Configuration reference

Use autostart for commands that should start in your session. Add this to ~/.config/gnoblin/init.lua:

gnoblin.configure {
    autostart = {
        waybar = {command = {"waybar"}},
    },
}

Install the program first. Gnoblin runs the command directly, without shell expansion; use one string for each argument. If you need pipes or redirection, explicitly run a shell.

when = "on_login" is the only supported trigger and is the default. Gnoblin starts each named entry once per login and does not restart it after exit.

A new name starts after a successful config reload if you are already logged in; otherwise it starts at the next login.

If a command changes or an entry is removed or disabled, Gnoblin sends SIGTERM to the process group it started, then sends SIGKILL if it has not exited after 200 ms. Descendants that remain in the group are included. It starts the updated command if enabled. See the autostart reference for launch failures.

Gnoblin starts configured commands after Mutter publishes the Wayland display. It also launches XDG autostart entries at this point, so graphical login apps do not start before the compositor is ready. When using Bingux, load its Gnoblin module to start its shell and layer clients through this same configuration path.

Override an imported command

Use the same name to change its arguments:

gnoblin.configure {
    autostart = {
        waybar = {
            command = {"waybar", "--config", "/home/you/.config/waybar/work.jsonc"},
        },
    },
}

Replace the path with your own. Omitted fields keep their earlier values.

Disable an entry

Set enable = false on the named entry to prevent it starting in future sessions:

gnoblin.configure {
    autostart = {
        waybar = {enable = false},
    },
}

An unknown name adds a disabled entry. Disabling or removing an entry stops its Gnoblin-owned process group on reload.

When does it run?

• A new name starts after Gnoblin accepts a config reload.
• Each name gets one launch per login. Saving again or unlocking does not start a second copy.
• Changing the command stops the owned process group and starts the updated command. Gnoblin sends SIGKILL after 200 ms if the group ignores SIGTERM.
• Disabling or removing an entry stops the owned process group.

See command syntax for shell commands and configuration loading for how named entries combine across files.