Multiple X login sessions

I’ve been using fvwm now for about 3 months, and i’m very pleased with the speed and looks of it :wink:

But there is a feature I really need on this shared machine.

:question: How can I enable a command or a script, to start a different X session (ctrl-alt-F…) from fvwm (like in kde)?

Even more difficult to run that command, when the xscreensaver is active, so multiple users can use an X session.

Is there somebody who already accomplished this?

Tia, eol

Hi,

I’m not shure, if I understood you.

If you want to start another Windowmanager on another display, you can use this script:

bilder24.parsimony.net/forum5677 … tuxwin.txt

Save as tuxwin, run with
./tuxwin fvwm
./tuxwin startkde
./tuxwin wmaker

or whatever you need.

You can switch the Desktops with strg-alt-fXXX

If you want to run the second desktop in a window, try this:
bilder24.parsimony.net/forum5677 … uxwin2.txt

usage:
./tuxwin2 startgnome
./tuxwin2 fvwm
./tuxwin2 startxfce4

Greets, Mark

That’s not what he’s after…

Certain display managers (GDM is one instance) have the ability to seemlessly run on more display (:0, :1, :2, etc) allowing many users to login, etc.

What I tend to do, is have three instances of xdm start – on displays 9,10,11 (so that I can map the Fx keys to them) – that way, they can login in that way.

Doing it the way MU suggest above will only allow the user invoking the new xsession to run – using xdm (or some other display manager) allows any user to login.

But look at the other consequences of doing so – there’ll be possibly significant overhead in starting up three instances of graphical logins – not to mention the memory resources that’ll be used for whatever program you might startup…

– Thomas Adam

But how do you start a different session (different user login),
when the xscreensaver is active on the first X session (by another user)

The only way i got it up running, is to let kdm start up one kde session on alt-F7, and from there starting fvwm sessions on alt-F8, alt-F9, …

But the kde screensaver let’s me start up a different X session when the screen is still locked (on alt-F7).

PS: i don’t prefer a bash/script startup, because some users are afraid of the console look :blush:

@Elf
Did you ever get this figured out? I’m trying to do away with winblows on my home desktop but need the ability to have multiple users logon into their on sessions. That way my wife (computer-phobic) can get to a browser without having to teach her how to log me off and start her own session.

Cheers,
Jerry

Well that is perfectly possible in KDE 3.2 for instance…
I’ll try to get a screenshot of this, and post it here.

It is actually KDM who control’s the multiple sessions

You’ll need to edit the following:

 /usr/kde/3.2/share/config/kdm/Xservers 
:0 local@tty1 /usr/X11R6/bin/X -nolisten tcp -br vt7
:1 local@tty2 reserve /usr/X11R6/bin/X -nolisten tcp -br :1 vt8

then you can do this

or start the new session from the screensaver.

or in GDM

/etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf
[servers]
# These are the standard servers. You can add as many you want here
# and they will always be started. Each line must start with a unique
# number and that will be the display number of that server. Usually just
# the 0 server is used.
0=Standard
#1=Standard

Then, uncomment that second line

0=Standard
1=Standard 

on both cases ctrl-alt-F8 will work now.

But in the kde one you can start the ctrl-alt-f8 session while the screensaver is locked.
This would be a great feature in fvwm, but i didn’t find out how to start the kde screensavers in fvwm… :frowning:

Yes, having to use kde to have this feature doesn’t seem right. I’m currently experimenting with qingy as it seems to support starting a new session while orignal is locked. However there are gl & framebuffer issues, looks like I may have to rebuild kernel. I’ll let you know if I get it to work; likewise let me know if you this to work with fvwm…