Chapter 11. Using Preference Tools

Configuring Sessions

The Sessions preference tool enables you to manage your sessions. You can set session preferences, and specify which applications to start when you start a session. You can configure sessions to save the state of applications in the GNOME Desktop, and to restore the state when you start another session. You can also use this preference tool to manage multiple GNOME sessions.

You can customize the settings for sessions and startup applications in the following functional areas:

  • Session Options

  • Current Session

  • Startup Programs

Setting Session Preferences

Use the Session Options tabbed section to manage multiple sessions, and to set preferences for the current session.

Table 11.22, “Session Options” lists the session options that you can modify.

Table 11.22. Session Options

Dialog Element

Description

Show splash screen on login

Select this option to display a splash screen when you start a session.

Prompt on logout

Select this option to display a confirmation dialog when you end a session.

Automatically save changes to session

Select this option if you want the session manager to save the current state of your session. The session manager saves the session-managed applications that are open, and the settings associated with the session-managed applications. The next time that you start a session, the applications start automatically, with the saved settings.

If you do not select this option, when you end you session the Logout Confirmation dialog displays a Save current setup option.

Sessions

Use this area of the dialog to manage multiple sessions in the GNOME Desktop, as follows:

  • To create a new session, click on the Add button. The Add a new session dialog is displayed. Use this dialog to specify a name for your session.

  • To change the name of a session, select the session in the Sessions table. Click on the Edit button. The Edit session name dialog is displayed. Type a new name for your session.

  • To delete a session, select the session in the Sessions table. Click on the Delete button.

When you log in on GDM, you choose a session. When you choose a session, you can select which of the multiple sessions to use.

Setting Session Properties

Use the Current Session tabbed section to specify startup order values, and to choose restart styles for the session-managed applications in your current session.

Table 11.23, “Session Properties” lists the session properties that you can configure.

Table 11.23. Session Properties

Dialog Element

Description

Order

The Order property specifies the order in which the session manager starts session-managed startup applications. The session manager starts applications with lower order values first. The default value is 50.

To specify the startup order of an application, select the application in the table. Use the Order spin box to specify the startup order value.

Style

The Style property determines the restart style of an application. To select a restart style for an application, select the application in the table, then choose one of the following styles:

  • Normal

    Starts automatically when you start a GNOME session.

  • Restart

    Restarts automatically whenever you close or terminate the application. Choose this style for an application if the application must run continuously during your session.

  • Trash

    Does not start when you start a GNOME session.

  • Settings

    Starts automatically when you start a session. Applications with this style usually have a low startup order, and store your configuration settings for GNOME and session-managed applications.

Remove

Click on the Remove button to delete the selected application from the list. The application is removed from the session manager, and closed. Application that you delete are not started the next time that you start a session.

Apply

Click on the Apply button to apply changes to the startup order and the restart style.

Configuring Startup Applications

Use the Startup Programs tabbed section of the Sessions preference tool to specify non-session-managed startup applications. Startup applications are applications that start automatically when you start a session. You specify the commands that run the non-session-managed applications in the Startup Programs tabbed section. The commands execute automatically when you log in.

You can also start session-managed applications automatically. For more information, see the section called “Setting Session Preferences”.

Table 11.24, “Startup Programs Preferences” lists the startup applications preferences that you can modify.

Table 11.24. Startup Programs Preferences

Dialog Element

Description

Additional startup programs

Use this table to manage non-session-managed startup applications as follows:

  • To add a startup application, click on the Add button. The Add Startup Program dialog is displayed. Enter the command to start the application in the Startup Command field.

    If you specify more than one startup application, use the Priority spin box to specify the startup order of the each application. The startup order is the order in which you want the startup applications to start.

  • To edit a startup application, select the startup application, then click on the Edit button. The Edit Startup Program dialog is displayed. Use the dialog to modify the command and the startup order for the startup application.

  • To delete a startup application, select the startup application, then click on the Delete button.
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