How do I edit start up applications when I can't log in?
 

Hi,

New here at LQ, so hope I'm posting this in the right place!

Have just installed Mint 15 Cinnemon. Decided I would like the XFCE dock down the right side of my screen for quick icon access. Downloaded and installed and was able to successfully run from the terminal. But once terminal was closed the dock closed with it.

So went to start up applications and added the command to start it up (xfce4-panel). On logging out and trying to log in I get nothing but a mouse pointer and a black screen!

So how and where and which config files do I edit to reverse this situation. I'm guessing if I use the install disk I can use that to find my way round the installed system, but not sure how I would be sure I have permissions to do any editing with.

If anyone can help - or point me to any posts regarding this I'd be most obliged. Thank you!

On the live disk you would have the same permissions as your running system. e.g. if you use root on the live disk then you'll have root access to your system and can edit any configuration file. I don't know what you changed on your system but if you remember it can be undone using the same reverse process from the live disk. This goes for any flavor of Linux live CD and not just mint.

Hi sag47,

Many thanks for the reply. Think I may have found that accidentally! As it was a fairly recently installed system I decided to just blow away the install and start again. I had spent a fair bit of time setting the system up and didn't want to go through that again, but decided to do it anyway!

To my suprise when I started up the system for the first time afterwards I found that it had saved all my settings (although I did have to re-install a number of apps) but all my hard work remained. :D

If I had read your post before I did that I think I could have saved even more time as I didn't realise that running the disk and changing settings in that would transfer to my main system. So a big thank you for that.

Cheers,

Petux

Using a Puppy-Linux live disk you don't need permissions to change things. I call it "the pirate" as it just does what it (you) wants.

Maybe I dont get it right what you got from sag47's post. Just to clear things.
When booting from the live cd you can accesses your installed system on hard disk. But working with only the live cd will not automaticaly change your installed system.

Think of the live cd more of a rescue crew that helps a fallen comrad back up :) Though they do stuff to/with him to achieve that. Just standing next to him will not save him.

To get back to the original questions (in case other users have a similar issue)
autostart applications are in a hidden folder; .config/autostart in your home folder (~/.config/autostart/)
the format is .desktop a textfile
you can start with opening a text editor
then navigate to the above mentioned folder
and open the file you created to modify it
or use a file browser and wipe out the offending file,
xfce4-panel.desktop as in your case
because it is in your homefolder you won't need super-user permission
that should do it