The Login Screen

The login screen displayed by the login server is an attractive alternative to the traditional character-mode login screen and provides capabilities beyond those provided by a character-mode login.

Figure 1–2 Desktop login screen

As with a character mode login, the user enters a user name followed by a password. If authenticated, the login server starts a desktop session for the user. When the user exits the desktop session, the login server displays a new login screen, and the process begins again.

To customize the login screen, you can:

• Change the login screen appearance

• Configure X server authority

• Change the default language

• Issue commands prior to display of the login screen

• Change the contents of the login screen Language menu

• Specify the command to start the user's session

• Issue commands prior to the start of the user's desktop session

• Issue commands after the user's session ends

Each of these can be done for all displays or on a per-display basis.