8
machine-id change on hibernate (feddit.cl)
submitted 6 days ago by lambisio@feddit.cl to c/linuxquestions@lemmy.zip
7 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I've been researching information about /etc/machine-id, a file that contains an ever-persistent machine ID that identifies the install across hardware or netwotk changes, and that is world-readable.

Most documentation I've seen says it is mostly safe to change this file and generate a new ID on shutdown, and there are example scripts to do it via eg.: systemd or rc.shutdown . That's nice, but... we're on Linux, we don't "shutdown" our machines, what do they think we are, Windows users? We don't shutdown at least intentionally.

So, I was wondering, is it feasible to regenerate this ID on hibernate? It's another instance where the machine powers down, there are ACPI hooks to run scripts on hibernate/wakeup, and I feel at least for a laptop it's a more common use case than a shutdown.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] HelloRoot@lemy.lol 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

there’s prep and glam I like to do or tend to set up but that I would prefer to explicitly set up instead of it being done automaticall

Back in the x11 days I had a script that would take a config file and open multiple programs in a specified arrangement across my displays.

I used KDE activities by task and had such a config for each task. KDE activities can run arbitrary scripts on being started. So when I opened the "work" activity for example, all my work apps would open up in my preffered arrangement. When I opened the gaming activity, steam would start on my side monitor and the main monitor had all of the other gaming related shortcuts on it etc.

Together with the preload daemon or a custom vm-touch (i switched from one to the other at some point) it was blazingly fast and very comfy. (Again, I overprovisioned my RAM so I used it by filling it post boot with a cache of pages that my apps load on startup)

Then wayland came and broke it and I didn't bother to fix it yet.

But everybody has their own prefered workflows, I'm not saying one is better than the other. Just wanted to share.

[-] lambisio@feddit.cl 2 points 4 days ago

I used KDE activities by task and had such a config for each task. KDE activities can run arbitrary scripts on being started.

Omg absolutely separate from the purpose of this thread, but would you happen to have copies of such scripts or could you recommend some tutorials on KDE activities? I usually prefer lean DEs, but every once in a while KDE makes it so difficult for me to say no to them.

Really thank you for sharing your insight and experience on this.

[-] HelloRoot@lemy.lol 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

Here you go:

Everything should be documented there

https://git.sr.ht/~deckweiss/x11_activity_session

It probably can be adopted to wayland (or even native kde tiling) with a bit of tinkering.

[-] lambisio@feddit.cl 2 points 3 days ago

I'm instacloning this. I get from the files and from previous experience with KDE that it can be done, I just haven't gotten enough tinkering experience outside of the classics such as wmctrl to do that yet.

[-] HelloRoot@lemy.lol 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

KDE activities don't get much dev love, so be warned.

The activity script hooks are (or were for a long time, idk how it is now) an undocumented feature.

I'll dig all the stuff out for you later today.

this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2026
8 points (100.0% liked)

Linux Questions

3879 readers
9 users here now

Linux questions Rules (in addition of the Lemmy.zip rules)

Tips for giving and receiving help

Any rule violations will result in disciplinary actions

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip