My NUC runs Debian Bullseye without a monitor. Can I set it up so one short press of the power button shuts it down safely? A long press seems to cut the power.
Can I make a short power button press safely shut down my headless NUC?
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the.last.coaster
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On Debian, systemd-logind can handle the power button. Edit /etc/systemd/logind.conf and set HandlePowerKey=poweroff. If the line starts with #, remove the # so the setting takes effect.
Then run systemctl restart systemd-logind, or reboot. A short press should initiate a normal shutdown, provided the NUC sends a power button event to Debian. Give it time to finish rather than holding the button down.
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If SSH is available, you can also connect from another machine and run a shutdown command. That's handy for remote administration, though it won't replace the button if the network is unavailable during a power outage.
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I'd check the firmware settings if a short press doesn't do anything after configuring Debian. The operating system can handle the button, but it needs to receive the event from the hardware first.
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!tangerine~test+pilot:
If a graphical desktop is running, its power management settings can override logind's button handling.