NAME¶
gnome-session - Start the GNOME desktop environment
SYNOPSIS¶
gnome-session [--autostart=DIR] [--session=SESSION] [--failsafe|-f]
[--debug]
DESCRIPTION¶
The
gnome-session program starts up the GNOME desktop environment. This
command is typically executed by your login manager (either gdm, xdm, or from
your X startup scripts). It will load either your saved session, or it will
provide a default session for the user as defined by the system administrator
(or the default GNOME installation on your system).
The default session is defined in
gnome.session, a .desktop-like file
that is looked for in
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions,
$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions and
$XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions.
When saving a session,
gnome-session saves the currently running
applications in the
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/saved-session
directory.
gnome-session is an X11R6 session manager. It can manage GNOME
applications as well as any X11R6 SM compliant application.
OPTIONS¶
The following options are supported:
- --autostart=DIR
- Start all applications defined in DIR, instead of
starting the applications defined in gnome.session, or via the
--session option. Multiple --autostart options can be
passed.
- --session=SESSION
- Use the applications defined in SESSION.session. If
not specified, gnome.session will be used.
- --failsafe
- Run in fail-safe mode. User-specified applications will not
be started.
- --debug
- Enable debugging code.
- --whale
- Show the fail whale in a dialog for debugging it.
SESSION DEFINITION¶
Sessions are defined in
.session files, that are using a .desktop-like
format, with the following keys in the
GNOME Session group:
- Name
- Name of the session. This can be localized.
- RequiredComponents
- List of component identifiers (desktop files) that are
required by the session. The required components will always run in the
session.
- RequiredProviders
- List of task providers that are required by the session. A
default provider for each task has to be defined with a
DefaultProvider-TASK key; the provider can be overridden by
required components, the saved session or autostart applications. The task
providers will always run in the session.
- DefaultProvider-TASK
- Identifier (desktop file) of the default provider for
TASK. If no provider for TASK is found in the required
components, the saved session and in the autostart applications, the
default provider will be started.
Here is an example of a session definition:
[GNOME Session]
Name=GNOME fallback
RequiredComponents=gnome-panel;metacity;gnome-settings-daemon;
RequiredProviders=notifications;
DefaultProvider-notifications=notification-daemon
The
.session files are looked for in
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions,
$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions and
$XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions.
ENVIRONMENT¶
gnome-session sets several environment variables for the use of its child
processes:
SESSION_MANAGER
- This variable is used by session-manager aware clients to
contact gnome-session.
DISPLAY
- This variable is set to the X display being used by
gnome-session. Note that if the --display option is used
this might be different from the setting of the environment variable when
gnome-session is invoked.
FILES¶
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/config/autostart
$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/config/autostart /usr/share/gnome/autostart
- The applications defined in those directories will be
started on login. gnome-session-properties(1) can be used to easily
configure them.
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions
$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions
$XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions
- These directories contain the .session files that
can be used with the --session option.
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/saved-session
- This directory contains the list of applications of the
saved session.
BUGS¶
If you find bugs in the
gnome-session program, please report these on
https://bugzilla.gnome.org.
SEE ALSO¶
gnome-session-properties(1) gnome-session-save(1)