Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2018 07:06:46 +0200 From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> To: Victor Sudakov <vas@mpeks.tomsk.su> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Alternative to x11/gnome3 ? Message-ID: <20180430070646.58320fbd.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20180430044253.GA14278@admin.sibptus.transneft.ru> References: <20180429140256.GA8201@admin.sibptus.transneft.ru> <20180429224951.537940ad.freebsd@edvax.de> <20180430044253.GA14278@admin.sibptus.transneft.ru>
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On Mon, 30 Apr 2018 11:42:53 +0700, Victor Sudakov wrote: > Polytropon wrote: > > > What alternative to x11/gnome3 can you advise? > > > > > > I would like a more lightweight desktop environment, however it MUST > > > support switching between GUI users without logging out (like > > > Ubuntu or Windows). > > > > > > I tried Mate but it does not seem to be able to switch between users > > > without logging out (at least the display manager Mate comes with > > > cannot do that). > > > > If remember correctly, both Gnome 2 and Mate _can_ do this. > > But I have a virtual box with the Mate metaport installed, and the "switch > user" button is nowhere to be found in the Mate GUI. Two possibilites: a) This function has not become part of Mate, but it was part of Gnome 2; maybe Cinnamon (the other Gnome 2 successor) has it? b) This function needs to be manually added to one of the menus or bars (via their configuration tools). > > The feature you're talking about is called "switch user", i. e., it is a > > session switcher: User A is logged in, has programs open and so on; user > > B approaches and asks to do something, so A selects the "switch user" > > function, allows B to log in; B does his stuff, logs out - and the > > session of user A is restored. > > > > Is that what you're looking for? > > > > Not quite so. None of the users ever has to close her session and apps. > Both the users' programs continue to run. Of course, at any moment only one > user can access her programs on the desktop. > > The rest of your assumption is correct. This is what I wanted to describe: The session is stored with all open programs and files before switching to a different user, and restored after the other user has logged out. Gnome 2 provided this feature. As did Mac OS X. ;-) > > If yes, this function is integrated in the desktop, and not > > part of the display manager (which usually is only activated > > when _no_ user is logged in). > > I beg to disagree. When I use this feature in gnome3 and in Ubuntu, > the display manager runs a separate instance of the X server per each > user. And when you authenticate to the gdm, it either starts a new X > server for you, or connects you to the existing X session. This is a > sample output of ps on a PC with two GUI sessions (only one owns the > desktop): > > > [sudakov@vas ~] ps axww | grep X > 13017 - S 1:47,82 /usr/local/bin/X :0 -background none -noreset -verbose -auth /var/run/gdm/auth-for-gdm-6X91vP/database -nolisten tcp vt09 (Xorg) > 13460 - S 0:19,43 /usr/local/bin/X :1 -background none -noreset -verbose -auth /var/run/gdm/auth-for-gdm-ZbwJGt/database -nolisten tcp (Xorg) > 13938 8 S+ 0:00,00 grep X > > I don't know how this is done internally. I don't have much experience with Gnome 3 because it scared the fsck out of me after "gnome" defaulted from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3 - and I switched to Mate. :-) > > Additionally, you can probably run a second X server on the > > same system and switch over for a second session... :-) > > > > That's exactly what gdm from gnome3 does. But I'm looking for an > alternative to gdm and gnome (and not startx). Maybe wdm, the display manager inteded for use with GNUstep, can be used? > I have tried the stock xdm to run two separate local X-servers but this > failed miserably for some reason. Must be some conflict it was unable to > resolve, but the second X-server would not even start. Running two X servers is not a trivial task, but possible with some work. However, the feature you're requesting should be available without all the trouble. :-) -- Polytropon Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...
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