reference

Autostart on System Login

Once you have FieldStation42 running stably, you'll probably want it to start automatically whenever the system boots. This page covers two approaches: the recommended systemd method, and the simpler desktop autostart method for setups that don't need full service management.

Running FieldStation42 as systemd user services gives you:

  • Automatic startup on login
  • Background execution with no terminal windows
  • Automatic restart on failure
  • Centralized logging via the systemd journal
  • Easy start, stop, and restart via systemctl

Only set this up after FieldStation42 is configured and running stably. This is not part of the initial install.

Install the Services

bash install/install_services.sh

The installer will prompt you to choose which services to enable:

  • Field Player (fs42) - Core playback service, enabled by default
  • Cable Box (fs42-cable-box) - Optional cable box interface
  • Remote Controller (fs42-remote-controller) - Optional
  • OSD (fs42-osd) - Optional on-screen display overlay

Services are enabled but not started immediately. They will start automatically on next login, or you can start them manually right away.

Managing Services

Field Player is the one you'll interact with most:

systemctl --user start fs42
systemctl --user stop fs42
systemctl --user restart fs42
systemctl --user status fs42
journalctl --user -u fs42 -f

To control all FieldStation42 services at once:

systemctl --user start fs42-*
systemctl --user stop fs42-*
systemctl --user restart fs42-*
systemctl --user status fs42-*
journalctl --user -u fs42-* -f

Individual service names:

  • fs42 - Field Player (main content playback)
  • fs42-cable-box - Cable Box interface
  • fs42-remote-controller - Remote Controller
  • fs42-osd - On-Screen Display (waits 30 seconds before starting)

Uninstall

bash install/uninstall_services.sh

Migrating from the Desktop Autostart Method

If you're currently using the desktop entry approach and want to switch to systemd, remove the old entry first:

sudo rm /etc/xdg/autostart/fieldstation42.desktop

Then follow the install steps above.

Alternative: Desktop Autostart

For simpler setups, you can create a desktop entry that launches FieldStation42 on login. This approach requires no service management but gives you no easy way to stop or restart without killing processes manually.

Basic Setup

Create the desktop entry file:

sudo nano /etc/xdg/autostart/fieldstation42.desktop

Paste the following:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=FieldStation42
Exec=/usr/bin/bash /path/to/repo/FieldStation42/fs42/hot_start.sh

Replace /path/to/repo/ with the actual path to your FieldStation42 directory. By default this would be /home/pi/ on a Raspberry Pi, making the full path /home/pi/FieldStation42/fs42/hot_start.sh.

To save in nano: press Ctrl+O, then Enter. To exit: press Ctrl+X.

With Cable Box

If you're using the cable box, your hot_start.sh might look like this:

#!/usr/bin/bash
cd ~/FieldStation42
. env/bin/activate
python3 field_player.py 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null & disown
python3 fs42/pi/cable_box.py 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null & disown

With Visible Output for Debugging

If you want to see output while troubleshooting, use xterm windows instead:

#!/usr/bin/bash
cd ~/FieldStation42
. env/bin/activate
xterm -bg black -fg yellow -hold -e "python3 fs42/pi/cable_box.py; bash" &
xterm -bg black -fg green -hold -e "python3 field_player.py; bash" &

With All Services

To autostart everything including OSD and the remote control webapp:

xterm -bg black -fg yellow -hold -e "python3 fs42/pi/cable_box.py; bash" &
xterm -bg black -fg green -hold -e "python3 field_player.py; bash" &
xterm -bg blue -fg white -hold -e "uvicorn fs42.remote.server:app --host 0.0.0.0; bash" &
sleep 30
DISPLAY=:0 python3 fs42/osd/main.py 1>/dev/null 2>/dev/null & disown

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