[SOLVED] Perform action when computer is unlocked...

[Hultan]

I need a bash script or an application to run every time I log in to my computer, regardless of whether it is

* after a reboot
* after a suspend
* after a log out
* after a screen lock
* etc

Basically, every time I enter my password (successfully) I want this script (or application) to run. Is that possible and how?

[Edit] Alternatively, if anyone knows how to check if the computer is locked or unlocked, that would be useful too.

[djph]

What does this script do? is it a per-user kind of thing, or is it sufficient for root to run it?

[Hultan]

What does this script do?

I didn't want to be too morbid so I left it out, but my mom died a week ago, and she was found about three days later, on friday. So, I started to think about what if something happened to me, well, I live alone and 5 hours away from my family, so I probably wouldn't be found until weeks, or months later, especially now when mom is dead. So, I need this to develop a solution that will send an email to my brothers to check up on me, if I have not logged in to my computer (or phone, but I will deal with that later) in 24 or 48 hours or so. Because, if I have not logged into my computer in 48 hours I am definitely dead

My thinking is that I this script will open a webpage, that will update a date stored on a server. I could then use that same link from my phone, whenever I have time to fix that. And then I could write a program that checked this date every few hours, to detect when there was last activity, and then send an email if needed.

is it a per-user kind of thing, or is it sufficient for root to run it?

Definitely only my user account is of interest here...but I guess if it can be handled by the root account, I can live with that...

Basically, I just need to detect activity on my computer, that is definitely 100% made by a user and not a background process or something...

[djph]

I would personally skip the "automated" approach (sans "@reboot"), as it may get problematic (misfire, not fire, etc). Actually I would skip it on a personal machine in general -- what happens if your ISP goes down when something goes wrong, right?

Slightly more error tolerant (but it does cost money; and is a bit off-the-cuff):

1. get one of those $5 per month VPS's
2. set up a script that fires at login to (re-)set a scheduled job
3. If it's been 48 hours, since the scheduler's been reset, fire the panic notification (sms, email, whatever).

This assumes, of course, that the SMS / Email / etc. isn't going to be missed / rejected as spam (especially given the recent trends to nuke spam calls/texts/etc.). It may actually be more resilient to simply call/text every few days.

[Hultan]

So how do I do step 2 you mentioned? I want to at least experiment a little with the concept and see if I kind find a way that works for me.

[djph]

A script at login would be set up in your ~/.bash_profile (or ~/.bashrc) files.