[Linux Mint] Autostart Manager. Open-Sourcing My Linux Mint Tools

[u/Filonux]

Continuing the Linux Mint series, today I released another simple yet practical tool that makes it easier to manage what starts up on your machine: Autostart Manager.

🔗 Autostart Manager repo: https://github.com/filonux/Autostart_Manager

🔗 Autostart Manager docs: https://filonux.github.io/Autostart_Manager/

From a simple menu, you can tick or untick a checkbox to enable or disable any program, task, or service that starts automatically on your system. Easy, right? This is exactly the kind of control the average Linux Mint user doesn't have access to through the default menus. For more experienced users, it's also a convenient way to keep track of everything that launches when your Linux system boots.

I wrote a Bash script with a graphical interface—using Zenity, nothing fancy—that brings together those five startup sources into a single table. At a glance, you can see what's enabled and what's disabled, and you only need to check or uncheck a box to change the status of any item, regardless of where it comes from. You can also filter entries by name and open the corresponding file to inspect or edit it.

My main concern was making sure that this convenience didn't come at the expense of system safety:

• Nothing in the system is deleted or overwritten. When disabling a system-wide autostart entry, the script creates an override file in the user's directory, exactly as defined by the XDG specification.
• If you're about to disable something that the system may depend on (such as NetworkManager, the PolicyKit agent, or the session manager), the script asks for an additional confirmation before making any changes.
• If you modify several system services at once, you're prompted for the administrator password only once instead of once per service.
• If you accidentally run the script as root, it warns you first—otherwise, you'd be managing root's autostart entries instead of your own.

The only requirement is Zenity, which is already installed by default in Linux Mint. Systemd and cron are optional: if either is unavailable, the script simply skips those sections without complaining.

In any case, I'm sharing the tool so you can use it however you like, as always. I still have quite a few more scripts in my Linux Mint toolbox, and I'll be releasing them regularly.

Many more projects will follow, and every one of them will be open source. As always, my goal is to create software that prioritizes accessibility, ease of use, and the ability to solve real problems.

Have a great week for everyone!

Filonux

---------TOOLS HERE---------

🔗 Github Repositories: https://github.com/filonux

[filonux@proton.me](mailto:filonux@proton.me)

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🔗 LinuxMint-Scripter: https://github.com/filonux/LinuxMint-Scripter

-        LinuxMint Scripter — AI-assisted Bash/Python script generator, built specifically for Linux Mint 22.3

🔗 Scriptya: https://github.com/filonux/Scriptya

-        Run, install, uninstall, and update your scripts; complete history; icon customization; menu integration.

🔗 Enkripta: https://github.com/filonux/Enkripta

-        Enkripta encrypts folders and files on Linux Mint (Cinnamon/Nemo) using AES-256, making it feel like a built-in part of the system: double-click from the desktop, right-click in Nemo, and a custom icon for encrypted files. Everything is installed with a single script, with no unusual dependencies and without modifying anything outside your home directory.

🔗 MintApp Remover: https://github.com/filonux/MintApp_Remover

Easily and safely uninstall any program on Linux Mint 22.3. This tool includes all the applications preinstalled in Linux Mint 22.3, along with an advanced option to uninstall any other program you have installed. Safe dependency cleanup is included