How to automatically run a program on startup in Linux

A program that must survive reboot belongs under the system service manager instead of a login shell. On systemd-based Linux hosts, a custom service unit lets boot start the program before anyone logs in and gives operators normal start, stop, status, and log commands for the same workload.

A service unit under /etc/systemd/system describes the program with sections such as [Unit], [Service], and [Install]. ExecStart= names the command, Type=exec makes systemd wait until the executable is invoked, Restart=on-failure restarts the process after unexpected exits, and WantedBy=multi-user.target makes enablement attach the service to the normal multi-user boot target.

This procedure creates a system-level startup service, not a graphical desktop login item. Desktop session autostart belongs in the matching desktop environment, while a command that should run once and exit at boot normally needs Type=oneshot instead of the long-running service pattern shown here. Custom system services run as root unless the unit sets User=account-name, so use a dedicated unprivileged account when the program does not need full administrator rights.

Steps to automatically run a program on Linux startup with systemd:

Create or identify the script or binary that should run during boot.
```
$ sudoedit /usr/local/bin/startup-demo.sh
```
Add the program that should stay running after startup.
```
#!/bin/sh
echo "startup-demo started"
exec sleep infinity
```
Replace the example with the real command. Use a wrapper script only when the service needs setup before the main process starts.

Make the startup program executable.

$ sudo chmod 755 /usr/local/bin/startup-demo.sh

Create the custom service unit file.

$ sudoedit /etc/systemd/system/startup-demo.service

Add the systemd unit definition.

[Unit]
Description=Startup demo service

[Service]
Type=exec
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/startup-demo.sh
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Add User=account-name under [Service] when the program should run as a dedicated non-root account.

Tool: systemd Unit Generator

Validate the unit file before loading it into the service manager.
```
$ sudo systemd-analyze verify /etc/systemd/system/startup-demo.service
```
No output means systemd accepted the unit syntax and referenced directives.
Reload systemd so it reads the new unit file.
```
$ sudo systemctl daemon-reload
```
Related: How to manage a Linux service with systemctl
Enable the service for future boots and start it now.
```
$ sudo systemctl enable --now startup-demo.service
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/startup-demo.service -> /etc/systemd/system/startup-demo.service.
```
--now starts the service immediately after enablement instead of waiting for the next reboot.

Related: How to manage a Linux service with systemctl

Confirm that systemd saved the boot-time enablement.

$ systemctl is-enabled startup-demo.service
enabled

Check that the service is running in the current boot.

$ systemctl status --no-pager startup-demo.service
* startup-demo.service - Startup demo service
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/startup-demo.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
     Active: active (running) since Sat 2026-06-13 10:15:42 UTC; 6s ago
   Main PID: 1842 (startup-demo.sh)
      Tasks: 2 (limit: 4567)
     Memory: 512.0K
        CPU: 8ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/startup-demo.service
             |-1842 /bin/sh /usr/local/bin/startup-demo.sh
             `-1843 sleep infinity

Review the service log from the current boot.

$ sudo journalctl -u startup-demo.service -b --no-pager
Jun 13 10:15:42 host.example.net systemd[1]: Started startup-demo.service - Startup demo service.
Jun 13 10:15:42 host.example.net startup-demo.sh[1842]: startup-demo started

-b limits the output to messages from the current boot.

Author: Mohd Shakir Zakaria
Mohd Shakir Zakaria is a cloud architect with deep roots in software development and open-source advocacy. Certified in AWS, Red Hat, VMware, ITIL, and Linux, he specializes in designing and managing robust cloud and on-premises infrastructures.