git-annex/ tips/ Delay Assistant Startup on Login

# Problem

I noticed that after installing git-annex assistant, my start up times greatly increased because the assistant does a startup scan while everything else is loading.

# Solution (for people using Gnome)

The solution I came up with is to delay the assistant's startup, as well as setting its IO priority as idle. To do this in Gnome 3, run:

    gnome-session-properties

Find the "Git Annex Assistant" entry in the Startup Programs tab, then click edit. Change this:

    /usr/local/bin/git-annex assistant --autostart (your location of git-annex may be different)

to this:

    bash -c "sleep 30; ionice -c3 /usr/local/bin/git-annex assistant --autostart" (replace /usr/local/bin to wherever git-annex is installed)

The "sleep 30" command delays the startup of the assistant by 30 seconds, and "ionice -c3" sets git-annex's IO priority to "idle," the lowest level.

ionice not supported by deadline scheduler
Linux's deadline I/O scheduler does not support ionice. It is now the default on some distros, including Ubuntu. CFQ does support ionice.
Comment by https://launchpad.net/~alphapapa — Tue Jul 22 18:11:47 2025
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