Periodic shutdown with popup-message and skip/delay-button I want a computer (Debian, XFCE) to shutdown every day at 1. a **specific time** as well as 2. a **pop-up window** in advance telling about the immanent shutdown with, say _OK_ , _Skip_ and _Delay 60 min_ buttons. I noticed `xmessage` being installed and it gives an easy way to handle rudimentary pop-ups with defined buttons. But the workaround with `sed` on the crontab (to alter the event) and `service cron reload` (with the appropriate rights in `/etc/sudoers`) with all the exceptions I have to capture seems too fiddly. Any ideas? **P.s.:** `shutdown`'s own messages are not being read since the users are usually not on the terminal.

I think you should consider a slightly different approach: instead of using `cron` for a shutdown, use `cron` to display a message with `xmessage`.

Then, after the actions (if any) taken from `xmessage` events (buttons pressed or not), you initiate a shutdown.

In other words:

* at a certain time, display `xmessage` via `cron`
* if no action is taken (button pressed) after a certain time - shutdown
* if button **is** pressed, delay shutdown with whatever time.



I wrote something similar to your needs in **this thread**.