Re: Fast User Switching gdm patch

[George <jirka 5z com>]

On Fri, Sep 13, 2002 at 08:20:35PM +0000, Ed Palmer wrote:
> This patch to gdm emulates Windows XP's "Fast User Switching", which i 
> call "Multiple Desktops".  Here's an example case:
> user 1 logs in-> assigned to vt 7
> user 1 runs "gdmflexiserver", starts new xnest on vt 8
> user 2 logs in on vt 8
> user 2 runs "gdmflexiserver", starts new xnest on vt 9
> user 1 logs in-> screen switches to vt 7 , gdmlogin keeps running
> user 1 runs "gdmflexiserver", vt switches to vt 9 revealing gdm login 
> screen
> 
> 
> I'd appreciate any feedback.  The patch is against -11 from aug 30
> don't know about cvs.

I really like this patch.  I will take a longer look at it when I have more time for gdm hacking
(busy with school currently).   I think perhaps it should be done slightly differently though.
I think the server on vt9 should be killed at the point when the user is switched.  An X server
takes up a lot of memory and all that.  That will however require some fun race avoidance stuff with
switching of the consoles, and there may be some flicker.

Further we may want to build a switcher app which lists current logins and would allow to switch to
one or run flexiserver.  My current thought is that this app could replace flexiserver in the menu so that
we only take up one entry in the menus but have more flexibility.

George