set up an app to start automatically upon next login

Does anyone know how to set up an application so that it is run the next time a user loser logs in? Also, is there a generic way to do this, regardless of the desktop? Or will I have to check the desktop type and make desktop specific changes?

Thanks.

Depending on your shell and how you login, you can add it to the corresponding start up scripts so that the program is executed. The program itself must have the correct permissions set for it to run.

There is no real desktop independent way of doing it, no. If you want it to work for all X logins, you could try adding it to the scripts that whatever display manager you are using calls. That won't work with pure terminal logins, though, and it won't work if it needs the basic desktop programs (like the panel in GNOME or kicker in KDE) to work.

Thank you for the responses.

I found a good description of the X startup sequence and how to customize it out on www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/xwin/xstart.html. I was able to modify /etc/X11/xinit/Xclients to start up my app upon login, regardless of the desktop type.