Allow a program to continue after logoff

The systemd package is built not to kill user process on log out by default, see Systemd/User#Kill user processes on logout.

There are several ways to make a program continue after logoff:

• use the nohup(1) GNU coreutil
• use the disown Bash/Zsh shell builtin
• use a terminal multiplexer, also allowing you to reattach to your detached session.

X applications

As xmove is dead, you probably want to use something else.

Secondary X server

With your favourite editor make a script with this content, use chmod to make it executable (chmod a+x scriptname.sh).

#!/bin/sh

if [ $# -eq 0 ] ; then # check to see if arguments are given (color depth)
    a=24        # default color depth
else
    a=$1        # use given argument
fi

if [ $a -ne 8 -a $a -ne 16 -a $a -ne 24 ] ; then
    echo "Invalid color depth. Use 8, 16, or 24."
    exit 1
fi

for display in 0 1 2 3 4 5 ; do
    if [ ! -f "/tmp/.X$display-lock" ] ; then
        exec startx -- :$display -depth $a -quiet
        exit 0
    fi
done

echo "No displays available."
exit 1

executing this little script will start a new X server. Then you can simply start your application and lock the server with xlock -mode blank (you need the xlockmore package for using xlock(1).)

Do not start your application in the first X server. If it is not already started, start the first and start a second one. Use the second one for your applications.

This is important because some features, like AGP mode, works only on one X server and other users of the computer will be annoyed if those feature will be lacking because you started a X server for your own purposes. So just use the second, the first will be full featured for everyone who need.

xpra

Xpra allows you to start X programs and leave them running after disconnecting to reconnect again at a later time. It is possible to start X programs on a remote machine, connect to the machine over ssh, disconnect and reconnect again while the programs continue running.

X2Go

X2Go supports suspending of sessions and reconnecting even from different client. While designed for remote access, it can be used even on localhost.