Managing Your Desktop Session

To configure your desktop session, use the Sessions preference tool as described in Configuring Sessions. 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 such applications manually. Alternatively, you can use the Sessions preference tool to specify the non-session-managed applications that you want to start automatically.

To Define Log In and Log Out Behavior

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

To Use Startup Applications

You can configure your sessions to start 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 startup applications start automatically the next time that you log in.

To Browse Applications

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

• All Java Desktop System 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 or restart style of any Java Desktop System application or preference tool that is in the list.

To Save Your Session Settings

Perform the following steps:

1. Open the Sessions preference tool.

2. Select the Automatically save changes to session option on the Session Options tabbed section.

3. Close the Sessions preference tool.

4. End your session as described in Logging Out.

5. When you log out, a dialog displays a Save current setup checkbox. If you want to save your current settings, select the Save current setup checkbox, then continue to log out.