Ubuntu - Run command on start-up with “sudo”

Ubuntu - Run command on start-up with sudo

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Ubuntu - Run command on start-up with “sudo”
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Asked 8 years ago
Active 3 years, 2 months ago
Viewed 107k times
91

I would like to run a sudo command when Ubuntu starts up (before anyone logs in):

sudo searchd

How would I do this?
linux ubuntu-11.10
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edited Sep 1 '14 at 16:48
blalasaadri
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asked Mar 13 '12 at 11:45
Mark Willis
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2 Answers
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You can add the command in the /etc/rc.local script that is executed at the end of startup.

Write the command before exit 0. Anything written after exit 0 will never be executed.
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edited Jan 12 '17 at 2:51
Nabin
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answered Mar 13 '12 at 11:47
Didier Trosset
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    38
    Before, for sure. Anything written after exit 0 will never be executed. – Didier Trosset Dec 6 '12 at 14:58
    Hi I also have and rvmsudo command to be executed in same situation. the command normally would ask for password. Will there be any issues if I place the command directly in /etc/rc.local ? – ravi1991 Jul 9 '15 at 14:39
    @fmonegaglia It depends. If you want the command to be started, and the script waits for it to finish before continuing to the next command on the script, then no &. If you want the following command to be started even if the current one is not finished, add a &. – Didier Trosset Jan 25 '16 at 9:12
    @NoOne Check access rights on this file for the current user. Starting editor command with sudo may do the trick. – Didier Trosset Sep 23 '16 at 8:23
    could you elaborate more? which program executes that script? seems like i don't have this file on a non-ubuntu (arch) distribution .. does ubuntu use another init system than systemd? or just some other config? – philx_x Feb 20 '17 at 20:13

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9

Edit the tty configuration in /etc/init/tty*.conf with a shellscript as a parameter :

(...)
exec /sbin/getty -n -l  theInputScript.sh -8 38400 tty1
(...)

This is assuming that we're editing tty1 and the script that reads input is theInputScript.sh.

A word of warning this script is run as root, so when you are inputing stuff to it you have root priviliges. Also append a path to the location of the script.

Important: the script when it finishes, has to invoke the /sbin/login otherwise you wont be able to login in the terminal.
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answered Mar 13 '12 at 11:57
Nugget
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    1
    this answer was pretty useful for me when building our product appliance, thanks a lot – José F. Romaniello Oct 4 '13 at 16:59

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