MQL5-Google-Onedrive/docs/Startup_Automation_Guide.md

MQL5 Trading Automation - Startup Guide

Overview

This repository includes a comprehensive automation system for starting up all components required for automated forex trading with MT5 (MetaTrader 5) terminal and custom scripts. The system supports Windows, Linux, and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Components

1. Python Orchestrator (scripts/startup_orchestrator.py)

Advanced Python script that manages the startup sequence of all components with:

• Configurable component startup order
• Proper initialization delays between components
• Comprehensive logging
• Process monitoring
• Error handling and recovery

2. Windows Batch Script (scripts/startup.bat)

Simple Windows batch file for basic automation:

• Easy to use for Windows users
• Minimal dependencies
• Suitable for Task Scheduler
• Good for quick testing

3. PowerShell Script (scripts/startup.ps1)

Advanced Windows automation with:

• Better error handling than batch files
• Colored output and logging
• Scheduled task creation
• Administrator privilege management
• Dry-run mode for testing

4. Linux/WSL Shell Script (scripts/startup.sh)

Bash script for Linux and WSL environments:

• systemd service integration
• Cron job setup
• Wine support for MT5 on Linux
• WSL detection and Windows interop

5. Configuration File (config/startup_config.json)

JSON configuration for customizing startup behavior:

• Define components to start
• Set initialization delays
• Configure platform-specific settings
• Add custom scripts

Quick Start

Windows Users

Option 1: Using Batch Script (Simplest)

cd C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive
scripts\startup.bat

Option 2: Using PowerShell (Recommended)

cd C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\startup.ps1

Option 3: Using Python Orchestrator

cd C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive
python scripts\startup_orchestrator.py

Linux/WSL Users

cd /path/to/MQL5-Google-Onedrive
./scripts/startup.sh

Setting Up Automatic Startup

Windows - Task Scheduler

Using PowerShell (Automated)

cd C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\startup.ps1 -CreateScheduledTask

Manual Setup

1. Open Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc)
2. Click Create Task (not "Create Basic Task")
3. General tab:
   • Name: MQL5 Trading Automation
   • Check "Run with highest privileges"
   • Configure for: Windows 10
4. Triggers tab:
   • New trigger
   • Begin the task: At startup
   • Delay task for: 30 seconds (recommended)
5. Actions tab:
   • Action: Start a program
   • Program/script: powershell.exe
   • Arguments: -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive\scripts\startup.ps1" -NoWait
   • Start in: C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive
6. Conditions tab:
   • Uncheck "Start only if on AC power"
   • Check "Start whether user is logged on or not"
7. Click OK and enter your password

Windows - Startup Folder

For user-level startup (simpler but runs only after login):

# Create shortcut
# Target: powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive\scripts\startup.ps1"
# Start in: C:\path\to\MQL5-Google-Onedrive

# Copy to startup folder
copy startup.lnk "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\"

Linux - systemd Service

cd /path/to/MQL5-Google-Onedrive
./scripts/startup.sh --setup-systemd

This creates a systemd service that runs on boot. Control it with:

sudo systemctl start mql5-trading-automation   # Start now
sudo systemctl stop mql5-trading-automation    # Stop
sudo systemctl status mql5-trading-automation  # Check status
sudo systemctl disable mql5-trading-automation # Disable auto-start

Linux - Cron Job

Alternative to systemd:

cd /path/to/MQL5-Google-Onedrive
./scripts/startup.sh --setup-cron

Configuration

Editing Startup Components

Edit config/startup_config.json to customize what starts:

{
  "components": [
    {
      "name": "My Custom Script",
      "executable": "python3",
      "args": ["path/to/my_script.py", "--arg1", "value1"],
      "working_dir": null,
      "wait_seconds": 5,
      "required": false,
      "platform_specific": null
    }
  ]
}

Component Options

• name: Display name for logging
• executable: Path to executable (use full path or ensure it's in PATH)
• args: Command-line arguments as array
• working_dir: Working directory (null = repository root)
• wait_seconds: Seconds to wait after starting before continuing
• required: If true, abort startup if this component fails
• platform_specific: "windows", "linux", or null for all platforms

MT5 Terminal Paths

The scripts automatically search common MT5 installation locations:

Windows:

• C:\Program Files\Exness Terminal\terminal64.exe
• C:\Program Files\MetaTrader 5\terminal64.exe
• %APPDATA%\MetaQuotes\Terminal\terminal64.exe

WSL:

• /mnt/c/Program Files/Exness Terminal/terminal64.exe
• /mnt/c/Program Files/MetaTrader 5/terminal64.exe

To add custom paths, edit the configuration file or the scripts directly.

Usage Examples

Testing (Dry Run)

PowerShell:

.\scripts\startup.ps1 -DryRun

Python:

python scripts/startup_orchestrator.py --dry-run

Monitoring Processes

Python (monitor for 1 hour):

python scripts/startup_orchestrator.py --monitor 3600

Creating Default Config

python scripts/startup_orchestrator.py --create-config

Custom Config File

python scripts/startup_orchestrator.py --config path/to/custom_config.json

Logs

All startup activity is logged to the logs/ directory:

• logs/startup_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.log - Python orchestrator logs
• logs/startup_ps_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.log - PowerShell logs
• Logs are kept for reference and troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Python Not Found

Windows: The startup scripts now automatically detect Python from multiple locations:

• Standard PATH installations
• Windows Store Python (recommended for easy installation)
• Program Files installations

If Python is not detected, install it from:

# Option 1: Microsoft Store (easiest)
# Search for "Python" in Microsoft Store and install Python 3.8 or higher
# Python 3.12 or later is recommended for best compatibility

# Option 2: Official Python installer
# Download from https://www.python.org/downloads/
# Minimum version: Python 3.8
# During installation, check "Add Python to PATH"

After installation, the scripts will automatically find Python in:

• %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python.exe (Windows Store)
• C:\Program Files\Python*\python.exe (Standard installer)
• Any location in your PATH environment variable

Linux/WSL:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

MT5 Terminal Not Starting

1. Verify MT5 is installed
2. Check the installation path
3. Update the path in config/startup_config.json
4. Try starting MT5 manually first
5. Check Task Manager for existing MT5 processes

PowerShell Execution Policy Error

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Or run with bypass:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\startup.ps1

Permission Denied (Linux)

chmod +x scripts/startup.sh
chmod +x scripts/startup_orchestrator.py

WSL - Can't Start Windows MT5

Ensure WSL can access Windows files:

ls /mnt/c/Program\ Files/

If not available, check WSL configuration in /etc/wsl.conf.

Advanced Features

Email Notifications (Coming Soon)

Configure in startup_config.json:

"notifications": {
  "enabled": true,
  "email": "your@email.com",
  "smtp_server": "smtp.gmail.com",
  "smtp_port": 587
}

Webhook Integration (Coming Soon)

Send startup notifications to Slack, Discord, etc:

"notifications": {
  "enabled": true,
  "webhook_url": "https://hooks.slack.com/services/YOUR/WEBHOOK/URL"
}

Restart on Failure

The orchestrator can be configured to automatically restart failed components:

"settings": {
  "max_startup_retries": 3,
  "retry_delay_seconds": 30
}

Integration with Existing Workflows

This automation system integrates with:

• GitHub Actions - CI/CD workflows in .github/workflows/
• OneDrive Sync - Automatic sync to OneDrive via rclone
• MT5 Expert Advisors - Automatically starts EA scripts
• Custom Python Scripts - Add your own trading logic

System Requirements

Minimum

• OS: Windows 10/11, Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+), WSL 2
• Python: 3.8 or higher
• RAM: 4 GB
• Disk: 1 GB free space

Recommended

• OS: Windows 11 or Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
• Python: 3.10 or higher
• RAM: 8 GB
• Disk: 10 GB free space (for MT5 data and logs)
• Network: Stable internet connection

Security Considerations

1. Never commit sensitive data (API keys, passwords) to the repository
2. Use environment variables for secrets
3. Secure MT5 account credentials
4. Review all scripts before running with elevated privileges
5. Keep Python and system packages updated

Support

• Issues: Open an issue on GitHub
• Email: Lengkundee01.org@domain.com
• WhatsApp: Agent community

License

See LICENSE file in the repository root.