[brlug-general] Multiple concurrent X sessions

[willhill]

Nice question!

The functionality you want is built into both the Gnome and KDE menu system 
and is functional in Debian Etch and derivatives like Mepis and Ubunto.  
Under the kicker, the "Switch User" options are "Lock Current Session and 
Start New Session" and "Start New Session."  Gnome has a similar sub menu, 
which I have not tried.  With kicker, it opens up a new session on vt8 and 
does not impact system performance.  What you see is a new login, so you can 
chose your user, with all it's preferences and then leave it running.  
Switching like this has not crashed for me on the two older machines I've 
tried it on, a 600 MHz PIII.  

I don't know what the exact mechanism is for the switching but I do know that 
gdm is configurable.  

Let me know how this comes out for you.  I don't have many occasions when I 
want to use my wife's computer and usually just ssh into it when I do.  It's 
easier to do things from bed.  Every now and then, I'll sit down at it and 
open my own session without bothering hers.

On Sunday 04 March 2007 6:03 pm, Joe Fruchey wrote:
> Okay, time for a Linux question...
>
> I want to run (surprise, surprise) concurrent X sessions. ...
> ...
> And if you're wondering why I want this, it's just because I'm trying
> to obliterate Windows from my household, so I installed Fedora on the
> primary family PC. Thing is, we were big users of Windows' Fast User
> Switching. We really only ever used two users though, and it's mainly
> because I like stuff different than most people, and I type Dvorak.
> Based on that info, if you have a better solution, I'd love to hear
> it.
>
> Joe