XDG RUNTIME DIR - Revision history

WhyNotHugo: Consolidate intro

2026-04-02T08:52:27Z

Consolidate intro

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:52, 2 April 2026
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	Various daemons and applications depend on <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire]] and others.		Various daemons and applications depend on the <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> environment variable being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire]] and others. This variable should point to a private, ephemeral directory owned by the current user. The exact semantics and details for this variable (and the directory to which it points) are documented in the [https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir/latest/#variables XDG base directory specification].

	The exact semantics and details for this variable (and the directory to which it points) are documented in the [https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir/latest/#variables XDG base directory specification].

	A few mechanisms exist to properly initialise this variable and its corresponding directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.		A few mechanisms exist to properly initialise this variable and its corresponding directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.

WhyNotHugo at 08:51, 2 April 2026

2026-04-02T08:51:42Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:51, 2 April 2026
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	Various daemons and applications depend on <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire]] and others.		Various daemons and applications depend on <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire]] and others.

			The exact semantics and details for this variable (and the directory to which it points) are documented in the [https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir/latest/#variables XDG base directory specification].

	A few mechanisms exist to properly initialise this variable and its corresponding directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.		A few mechanisms exist to properly initialise this variable and its corresponding directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.
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	== Initialising via pam_rundir ==		== Initialising via pam_rundir ==

	[https://github.com/jjk-jacky/pam_rundir pam_rundir] is a [[PAM]] module that provides the runtime directory variable. Installing the package {{pkg\|pam-rundir}} takes care of dependencies and no further configuration is required. <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> would be set as {{Path\|/run/user/$(id -u)}} by pam_rundir.		[https://github.com/jjk-jacky/pam_rundir pam_rundir] is a [[PAM]] module that provides the runtime directory variable. Installing the package {{pkg\|pam-rundir}} takes care of dependencies and no further configuration is required. <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> would be set as {{Path\|/run/user/$(id -u)}} by pam_rundir.

			[https://github.com/ifreund/dumb_runtime_dir dumb_runtime_dir] is functionally equivalent and has cleaner, simpler code, but is not currently packaged in Alpine.

	== Initialising via mkrundir ==		== Initialising via mkrundir ==
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	fi		fi
	</nowiki>}}		</nowiki>}}

			== See also ==

			* An overview of different approaches for [https://whynothugo.nl/journal/2026/04/02/creating-an-xdg_runtime_dir/ creating an XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]

WhyNotHugo: Typos, wording

2026-02-11T20:30:16Z

Typos, wording

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:30, 11 February 2026
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	Various daemons and applications depend on <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire] and others.		Various daemons and applications depend on <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire]] and others.

	A few mechanisms exist to initialise this directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.		A few mechanisms exist to properly initialise this variable and its corresponding directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.

	== Initialising via elogind ==		== Initialising via elogind ==

WhyNotHugo: New article (mostly moved over from Wayland).

2026-02-11T20:29:32Z

New article (mostly moved over from Wayland).

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:29, 11 February 2026
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	~~#REDIRECT~~ [[Wayland#XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]]		Various daemons and applications depend on <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> being set, including [[Wayland]], [[PipeWire] and others.

			A few mechanisms exist to initialise this directory, as described below. Only one should be used for a user's session; configuring multiple of these mechanisms will lead to misbehaviours.

			== Initialising via elogind ==

			When using [[elogind]] as a seat manager, it exports <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> and other XDG environment variables automatically for each session. No further configuration is required. <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> would be set as {{Path\|/run/user/$(id -u)}} by '''elogind'''.

			== Initialising via pam_rundir ==

			[https://github.com/jjk-jacky/pam_rundir pam_rundir] is a [[PAM]] module that provides the runtime directory variable. Installing the package {{pkg\|pam-rundir}} takes care of dependencies and no further configuration is required. <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> would be set as {{Path\|/run/user/$(id -u)}} by pam_rundir.

			== Initialising via mkrundir ==

			[https://git.sr.ht/~whynothugo/mkrundir mkrundir] is an executable that can be used to initialise the runtime directory explicitly by each user. To use <code>mkrundir</Code>, install the package {{pkg\|mkrundir}} available in [[Repositories#Testing\|testing]] repository. <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> would be set as {{Path\|/run/user-$UID}} by mkrundir. In your shell init script (e.g.: {{Path\|~/.profile}} include an entry as follows at the '''top''' of the file {{Cat\|~/.profile\|...
			export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR{{=}}$(mkrundir)
			...}}

			As per [https://git.sr.ht/~whynothugo/mkrundir mkrundir] website, this might have issues inside containers, due to privilege escalation.

			== Initialising manually in /tmp ==

			Generally, care should be taken when configuring the <code>XDG_*</code> variables manually as this configuration may have errors or conflict with other utilities that do this automatically. Use this only on a system that's not using [[elogind]] and other solutions outlined above cannot handle this.

			The <code>XDG_RUNTIME_DIR</code> can be initialised manually by adding below snippet to shell init scripts (e.g.: {{Path\|~/.profile}}):

			{{Cat\|~/.profile\|<nowiki>if test -z "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"; then
			export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/tmp/xdg/"${UID}"-xdg-runtime-dir
			if ! test -d "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"; then
			mkdir -p "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"
			chmod 0700 "${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}"
			fi
			fi
			</nowiki>}}

WhyNotHugo: Redirect to relevant section

2023-02-26T21:36:38Z

Redirect to relevant section

New page

#REDIRECT [[Wayland#XDG_RUNTIME_DIR]]