Starting a Session

A session occurs between the time that you log in to the GNOME Desktop and the time that you log out. The login screen is your gateway to the GNOME Desktop. The login screen provides fields for you to enter your username and password. The login screen enables you to select login options, for example you can select the language of your session.

You start a session when you log in. The session manager starts after your username and password are authenticated. The session manager enables you to manage the session. For example, you can save the state of your most recent session and return to that session the next time that you log in. The session manager saves and restores the following:

• The appearance and behavior settings, for example fonts, colors, and mouse settings.

• The applications that you were running, for example file manager and text editor windows. You cannot save and restore applications that the session manager does not manage. For example, if you start the vi editor from the command line in a terminal window, session manager cannot restore your editing session.

To Log in to a Session

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, the session manager starts a session. If this is 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.

To Log in to a Session in 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 specify a keyboard layout, use the Keyboard Layout Switcher applet.