[SOLVED] Automatically run a browser when network is up

Question

Hi,
I have been trying to use netcfg's POST_UP variable to run a graphical browser (midori) automatically once the network is up and running using this script (called thanks to the POST_UP variable in my network's configuration)
#!/bin/sh
if [ "$(ps aux | grep "$USER" | grep midori | grep -v grep | grep -v defunct)" = "" ]
then
midori > /dev/null 2>&1 &
fi
Yes, the condition in the if statement is very hackish (can not currently think of a better way to do this) but it works when I am logged in (graphically) and run netcfg manually.
The only problem is that I have configured my rc.conf to automatically connect to my network at start-up.
NETWORKS=(home)
DAEMONS=(... @net-profiles ...)
As the daemon is backgrounded, the boot process carries on and I am logged in X long before the POST_UP operation is done. Still, when running netcfg like that, midori does not start and I get the following error:
Midori - Cannot open display:
Although I can think of ideas why it is so, I have no idea how to make this work. Any insights ?
Thank you in advance,
yms
Last edited by yms (2011-02-10 22:06:08)

Answer 1

yms wrote:
jOaNbE wrote:The error you are getting is in contradiction to your statement.
Indeed. This is why I am posting. The thing is netcfg is executed and backgrounded and while I am getting a connection, I am logged in and X starts. A few seconds later, the connection is established and when the POST_UP operation is done, there should be no problem with the display ... except there is.
Actually I'm wrong: My statement "The error you are getting is in contradiction to your statement." was intendend as "No, midori is called before an xserver instance started by $USER" which is false. The error is caused by the fact that midori is started by root, who doesn't have a running xserver instance.
I'm also curious as to why UID matters to you (besides avoiding running web browsers as root).
yms wrote:... I have just been asked to automate redundant operations as much as possible including autorunning programs. And the reason I can't run the browser anyways is that it won't load the default tabs properly (as the connection is down).
Are you doing this in a multi user environment or your personal single user laptop? Who asked you to do this? What do you mean by the last sentence in the quote above?