Re: [gdm-list] cannot return to session after switch user

[Klaus Thorn <klaus trillke net>]

thank you Brian,
gdmflexiserver is a good tool and could do what the
users need, but

On Wed, Jan 03, 2007 at 03:24:43PM -0600, Brian Cameron wrote:
> Users can pick the "New Login" choice in the menu.  This
> should be found in the Application->System menu

1) it is hidden by default, so they do not see it (ubuntu6.06)

2) even if I knew how to make it visible to all
current and future user accounts, then still:
if a user wants to switch to a running hidden session
then (s)he will still use:

panel -> turnoff symbol -> switch user

and not:

Application -> System -> New Login

not only is the name "New Login" completely counter-intuitive
if someone wants to switch back to his running session,

also the users see the huge shiny "switch user" button every
time they log out/restart/shutdown, (and also under windows)
so when they finally need what this button promises,
they will happily try this button
("I've already seen where I can do that! hah, I can help myself!")
... and get stuck


Thanks for telling me about gdmflexiserver,
i guess it is only a small step to include it into the
gdm greeter system menue ("action menu") under an 
appropriate name. can I do it as an administrator
once for each installed computer?

Or could I even make the "switch user" button
(which appears after clicking the turnoff symbol
 in the panel) directly execute gdmflexiserver?

It would be feasible network-wide
if I could do this once per computer,
through an after-install customization
script, but it would not be feasible to
do it once for each user.

> Also users can run gdmflexiserver from the
> command line if they wish.

99% of the users I'm searching a solution for
do not use the command line (and don't know how to do it,
and what it can do, and would never take the time to learn)
 
> Note the gdmflexiserver.desktop file that should be installed
> to /usr/share/applications

It is already installed there under ubuntu 6.06, which I am using.



> which is the desktop file that
> makes this menu option available.
> 
> Brian
> 
> 
> >when one of my customers clicks on switch user
> >under ubuntu, (s)he returns to gdm, but
> >there is no option to switch to one of
> >the already running sessions.
> >
> >I guess there are also possible ways for the
> >ubuntu people to work around this, but why work
> >around it in each distribution, I think the
> >"gnome display manager" is the right place,
> >don't you think?
> >
> >fast-user-switch-panel is also no option,
> >since the users don't know that it is there or
> >how to add it to their panel. And I can't
> >tell them either, because there are hundrets
> >of users, new ones arriving every week.
> >And the panel also shows users that are
> >not already logged in, which is also
> >true for the locked-screen, sadly.
> >Is this locked screen menu part of gdm?
> >
> >thanks in advance,
> 

-- 
klaus thorn