autostart

The autostart command provides cross-platform functionality for managing whether kasl automatically starts monitoring when the system boots. It supports different autostart mechanisms depending on the operating system.

Usage

kasl autostart [COMMAND]

Commands

`enable` - Enable autostart on system boot

kasl autostart enable

Configures the system to automatically start kasl monitoring when the user logs in or the system boots.

Platform-specific behavior:

Windows:

Primary: Windows Task Scheduler (requires admin privileges)
Fallback: Registry Run key (current user)
Provides clear feedback about which method was used

macOS: LaunchAgent (planned - not yet implemented) Linux: systemd user service (planned - not yet implemented)

`disable` - Disable autostart on system boot

kasl autostart disable

Removes any existing autostart configuration, ensuring kasl will not automatically start on system boot.

`status` - Show current autostart status

kasl autostart status

Checks and displays whether autostart is currently enabled or disabled on the system.

Examples

Basic Usage

# Enable autostart
kasl autostart enable

# Check current status
kasl autostart status

# Disable autostart
kasl autostart disable

Windows-Specific Examples

# Enable with admin privileges (recommended)
# Run as Administrator
kasl autostart enable

# Enable without admin (user-level only)
kasl autostart enable

# Check which method was used
kasl autostart status

Platform Support

Windows

Supported Methods:

Windows Task Scheduler (Primary)
- Requires administrator privileges
- More reliable and configurable
- Can be managed through Windows Task Manager
Registry Run Key (Fallback)
- User-level configuration
- Works without admin privileges
- Less configurable than Task Scheduler

Implementation Details:

Attempts Task Scheduler first
Falls back to Registry if admin access denied
Provides clear feedback about which method was used

macOS (Planned)

Future Implementation:

LaunchAgent: User-level autostart
Configuration in ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
Integration with macOS system preferences

Linux (Planned)

Future Implementation:

systemd user service: Modern Linux systems
init.d scripts: Legacy systems
Integration with desktop environment autostart

Sample Output

Enable Autostart (Windows - Task Scheduler)

✅ Autostart enabled successfully!
Method: Windows Task Scheduler
Status: Active
Next run: On system startup

Enable Autostart (Windows - Registry Fallback)

⚠️  Autostart enabled with limited functionality
Method: Registry Run Key (user-level)
Status: Active
Note: Task Scheduler method requires administrator privileges

Status Check

Autostart Status: Enabled
Method: Windows Task Scheduler
Configuration: Active
Next startup: Will start automatically on system boot

Disable Autostart

✅ Autostart disabled successfully!
Removed: Task Scheduler entry
Removed: Registry entries
Status: Disabled

Unsupported Platform

❌ Autostart not supported on this platform
Platform: macOS
Status: Not implemented
Note: This feature is planned for future releases

Use Cases

Daily Workflow Automation

# Set up autostart for seamless monitoring
kasl autostart enable

# Verify it's working
kasl autostart status

# Start monitoring manually for first time
kasl watch

System Administration

# Deploy to multiple workstations
kasl autostart enable

# Verify deployment
kasl autostart status

# Remove from decommissioned systems
kasl autostart disable

Development and Testing

# Enable for testing
kasl autostart enable

# Test autostart functionality
# Restart system and verify kasl starts

# Disable after testing
kasl autostart disable

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Insufficient privileges (Windows)

# Run as Administrator
# Right-click Command Prompt/PowerShell -> "Run as Administrator"
kasl autostart enable

# Or use user-level fallback
kasl autostart enable
# Will use Registry method automatically

Autostart not working after enable

# Check status
kasl autostart status

# Verify system startup
# Restart system and check if kasl starts

# Re-enable if needed
kasl autostart disable
kasl autostart enable

Platform not supported

# Check current platform support
kasl autostart status

# Manual startup alternative
# Add kasl watch to your startup scripts

Windows-Specific Issues

Task Scheduler not working

# Check Task Scheduler manually
# Open Task Scheduler -> Task Scheduler Library -> kasl

# Try Registry method
kasl autostart disable
kasl autostart enable

Registry method issues

# Check Registry manually
# HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

# Re-enable with admin privileges
kasl autostart disable
# Run as Administrator
kasl autostart enable

Verification Steps

# 1. Enable autostart
kasl autostart enable

# 2. Check status
kasl autostart status

# 3. Test by restarting system
# Restart your computer

# 4. Verify kasl is running
kasl watch --stop
# If kasl was running, autostart is working

Best Practices

Windows Deployment

Use administrator privileges when possible for Task Scheduler method
Test autostart functionality after deployment
Document deployment method used for each system
Monitor autostart status regularly

System Management

Enable autostart on all workstations that need monitoring
Disable autostart when removing kasl from systems
Verify functionality after system updates
Keep autostart configuration documented

Security Considerations

Task Scheduler method is more secure than Registry
User-level autostart is sufficient for most use cases
Monitor autostart entries for unauthorized changes
Disable autostart on shared systems when appropriate

Integration with Other Commands

The autostart command works with other kasl commands:

watch: The monitoring command that gets started automatically
init: Configure kasl before enabling autostart
status: Check if monitoring is running after autostart

watch - The monitoring command that autostart enables
init - Configure kasl before setting up autostart
update - Update kasl while preserving autostart settings