Desktop Sessions

A session is the period of time you spend using the desktop, between logging in and logging out. During a session, you use your applications, print, browse the web, and so on.

Starting a Session

Logging in to the desktop begins your session. The login screen is a gateway to the Oracle Solaris Desktop.

How to Log In to the Desktop

1. On the login screen, click Session. Choose GNOME from the list of available desktop environments.
2. Type the username in the Username field, and then press Return.
3. Type the password in the Password field, and then press Return.

   The first time you log in, the session manager starts a new session. If you have logged in before and saved the settings for the previous session, then the session manager restores your previous session.

   If you want to shut down or restart the system before you log in, click System on the login screen. Select the relevant option from the dialog, and then click OK.

How to Use a Different Language

1. On the login screen, click Language. Choose the required language from the list of available languages.
2. Type the username in the Username field, and then press Return.
3. Type the password in the Password field, and then press Return.

How to Use a Different Keyboard Layout

When you log in to a session using a different language, the user interface language is changed and not the keyboard layout.

1. On the login screen, type your username in the Username field, and then press Return.
2. Click the Keyboard icon that appears at the bottom of the login screen, and choose the required keyboard layout from the list of available layouts.
3. Type the password in the Password field, and then press Return.

See Also

After logging in, you can also choose a different keyboard layout using the Keyboard preference tool. For more information about the Keyboard preference tool, see Keyboard.

Locking the Screen

Locking the screen prevents access to the applications and information, allowing you to leave the computer unattended. While your screen is locked, the screensaver runs.

To lock the screen, perform one of the following actions:

• Choose System → Lock Screen

• Click the Lock Screen button, if it is present on a panel

To unlock the screen, move the mouse or press any key, type the password in the locked screen dialog, and then press Return.

If other users want to use the computer while it is locked, they can move the mouse or press a key and then click Switch User. The login screen is displayed and they can log in using their credentials. They will not be able to access any of your applications or information. When they log out, the screen is locked again and you can access your session by unlocking the screen.

Setting Programs to Start Automatically When You Log In

You can choose certain programs to be started automatically when you log in to a session. For example, you might want a web browser to be started as soon as you log in. Programs which start automatically when you log in are called startup programs. Startup programs are automatically saved and closed by the session manager when you log out, and are restarted when you log in.

The Startup Applications preference tool enables you to define startup programs. It has two tabs, Startup Programs and Options.

About the Startup Programs Tab

You can use the Startup Programs tab to add, modify, and remove startup programs.

A list of startup programs is displayed on this tab. The list shows a short description of each program, along with an option which denotes whether the startup program is enabled. Programs which are not enabled will not be started automatically when you log in.

Enabling/Disabling Startup Programs

To enable a program to start up automatically, select the option corresponding to that program.

To disable a program from starting automatically, deselect the option.

How to Add a New Startup Program

1. In the Startup Programs tab, click Add.

   The Add Startup Program dialog box is displayed.

2. In the Name text box, specify a name for the new startup program.
3. In the Command text box, specify the command to invoke the application.

   For example, the command gedit will start the Gedit Text Editor. If you do not know the exact command, click Browse to choose the path of the command.

4. In the Comments text box, type a description for the application.

   The description of the program is displayed in the list of startup programs.

5. Click Add.

   The application will be added to the list of startup programs.

Removing a Startup Program

To remove a startup program, select it from the list of startup programs and click Remove.

Editing a Startup Program

To edit an existing startup program, select it from the list of startup programs and click Edit. A dialog is displayed which enables you to edit the properties of the program. For more information about the available options in this dialog, see About the Startup Programs Tab.

About the Options Tab

The session manager can remember which applications are running when you log out and can automatically restart them when you log in again. Select Automatically Remember Running Applications while logging out to restart the running applications each time you log in again. If you would like this to happen only once, click Remember Currently Running Applications before logging out.

Ending a Session

You can perform one of the following actions to end a session:

• Log out, leaving the computer ready for another user to begin working. To log out, choose System → Log Out username.

• Shut down the computer and switch off power. To shut down, choose System → Shut Down, and then click Shut Down.

• Depending on the computer's configuration, you might be able to hibernate the computer. During hibernation, less power is used, but all the open applications and documents are preserved and will be open when you resume from hibernation. You can resume from hibernation by moving your mouse or pressing a key.

Before you end a session, you might want to save your current settings so that you can restore the session later. In the Startup Applications preference tool, you can select an option to automatically save your current settings.