# Desktop Sessions

This chapter provides the information you need to log in to and shut down GNOME, and to start, manage, and end a desktop session.

## Starting a Session

A session is the period of time you spend using GNOME. During a session, you use your applications, print, browse the web, and so on.

Logging in to GNOME begins your session. The login screen is your gateway to the GNOME Desktop: it is where you enter your username and password and select options such as the language you want GNOME to use for your session.

Normally, logging out ends the session, but you can choose to save the state of your session and restore it next time you use GNOME: see .

### Logging in to GNOME

To log in to a session, perform the following steps:

1. On the login screen, click on the Session icon. Choose the GNOME Desktop from the list of available desktop environments.

2. Enter your username in the Username field on the login screen, then press Return.

3. Enter your password in the Password field on the login screen, then press Return.

When you log in successfully, you will see a splash informing you of the steps GNOME is taking to start up. When GNOME is ready, you will see the Desktop and you can begin using your computer.

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

If you want to shut down or restart the system before you log in, click on the System icon on the login screen. A dialog is displayed. Select the option that you require, then click OK.

### Using a Different Language

To log in to a session in a different language, perform the following actions.

1. On the login screen, click on the Language icon. Choose the language you require from the list of available languages.

2. Enter your username in the Username field on the login screen, then press Return.

3. Enter your password in the Password field on the login screen, then press Return.

When you log in to a session in a different language, you choose the language for the user interface. You do not specify a keyboard layout for the session. To choose a keyboard layout, use the Keyboard Indicator applet.

## Locking Your Screen

Lock screen icon.

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

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

- Choose System Lock Screen.

- If the Lock Screen button is present on a panel, click on the Lock Screen button.

  The Lock Screen is not present on the panels by default. To add it, see .

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

## Managing the Session

To configure the session management of the GNOME Desktop, use the Sessions preference tool. The Sessions preference tool recognizes the following types of application:

- Applications that are session-managed. When you save the settings for your session, the session manager saves all of the session-managed applications. If you log out, then log in again, the session manager automatically starts the session-managed applications.

- Applications that are not session-managed. When you save the settings for your session, the session manager does not save any applications that are not session-managed. If you log out, then log in again, the session manager does not start non-session-managed applications. You must start the application manually. Alternatively, you can use the Sessions preference tool to specify non-session-managed applications that you want to automatically start.

### Defining Session Behavior When You Log In and Log Out

To set how a session behaves when you log in and log out, use Sessions preference tool. Make the changes you require in the Session Options tabbed section. For example, you can select to display a splash screen when you log in.

### To Use Startup Applications

You can configure your sessions to start with applications that are not session-managed. To configure non-session-managed startup applications, use the Sessions preference tool. Use the Startup Programs tabbed section to add, edit, and delete applications. If you save your settings and log out, the next time that you log in, the startup applications start automatically.

### To Browse Applications in the Current Session

To browse the applications in the current session, use the Sessions preference tool. The Current Session tabbed section lists the following:

- All GNOME applications that are currently running, that can connect to the session manager, and that can save the state of the application.

- All preference tools that can connect to the session manager, and that can save the state of the tool.

You can use the Current Session tabbed section to perform a limited number of actions on the session properties of an application or preference tool. For example, you can edit the startup order, and restart style of any GNOME application or preference tool that is in the list.

### To Save Session Settings

To save your session settings, perform the following steps:

1. Configure your session to automatically save settings when you end the session. To configure your session, use the Sessions preference tool. The Sessions preference tool starts. Select the Automatically save changes to session option on the Session Options tabbed section.

2. End your session.

## Ending a Session

When you have finished using your computer, you can choose to do one of the following:

- Log out for another user to begin working with it. To log out of GNOME, choose System Log Out username .

- Shut down your computer and switch off the power. To shut down, choose System Shut Down.

- Depending on your computer's configuration, you can also Hibernate your computer. During hibernation, less power is used, but the state of your computer is preserved: all the applications you have running and open documents.

When you end a session, applications with unsaved work will warn you. You can choose to save your work, or cancel the command to log out or shut down.

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