GNOME-SESSION(1) General Commands Manual GNOME-SESSION(1)

NAME
       gnome-session - Start the GNOME desktop environment

SYNOPSIS
       gnome-session  [-a|autostart=DIR] [session=SESSION] [failsafe|-f]
       [debug] [whale]

DESCRIPTION
       The gnome-session program starts up the GNOME desktop environment. This
       command  is  typically executed by your login manager (either gdm, xdm,
       or from your X startup scripts). It will load either  your  saved  ses‐
       sion,  or  it will provide a default session for the user as defined by
       the system administrator (or the default  GNOME  installation  on  your
       system).

       The  default  session is defined in gnome.session, a .desktop-like file
       that  is   looked   for   in   $XDGCONFIGHOME/gnome-session/sessions,
       $XDGCONFIGDIRS/gnome-session/sessions  and  $XDGDATADIRS/gnome-ses‐
       sion/sessions.

       When saving a session, gnome-session saves the currently running appli‐
       cations in the $XDGCONFIGHOME/gnome-session/saved-session directory.

       gnome-session is an X11R6 session manager. It can manage GNOME applica‐
       tions as well as any X11R6 SM compliant application.

OPTIONS
       The following options are supported:

       autostart=DIR
              Start all applications defined in DIR, instead of  starting  the
              applications  defined  in  gnome.session,  or  via the session
              option. Multiple autostart options can be passed.

       session=SESSION
              Use the applications defined in SESSION.session. If  not  speci‐
              fied, gnome.session will be used.

       failsafe
              Run  in  fail-safe mode. User-specified applications will not be
              started.

       debug
              Enable debugging code.

       whale
              Show the fail whale in a dialog for debugging it.

SESSION DEFINITION
       Sessions are defined in .session files, that are using a  .desktop-like
       format, with the following keys in the GNOME Session group:

       Name   Name of the session. This can be localized.

       RequiredComponents
              List  of component identifiers (desktop files) that are required
              by the session. The required components will always run  in  the
              session.

       Here is an example of a session definition:

           [GNOME Session]
           Name=GNOME
           RequiredComponents=gnome-shell;gnome-settings-daemon;

       The  .session  files  are  looked  for  in  $XDGCONFIGHOME/gnome-ses‐
       sion/sessions,       $XDGCONFIGDIRS/gnome-session/sessions        and
       $XDGDATADIRS/gnome-session/sessions.

ENVIRONMENT
       gnome-session  sets  several  environment  variables for the use of its
       child processes:

       SESSIONMANAGER

              This variable is used by session-manager aware clients  to  con‐
              tact gnome-session.

       DISPLAY

              This  variable  is set to the X display being used by gnome-ses‐
              sion. Note that if the display option is used  this  might  be
              different  from  the  setting  of  the environment variable when
              gnome-session is invoked.

FILES
       $XDGCONFIGHOME/config/autostart     $XDGCONFIGDIRS/config/autostart
       /usr/share/gnome/autostart

              The applications defined in those directories will be started on
              login.  gnome-session-properties(1) can be used to  easily  con‐
              figure them.

       $XDGCONFIGHOME/gnome-session/sessions     $XDGCONFIGDIRS/gnome-ses‐
       sion/sessions $XDGDATADIRS/gnome-session/sessions

              These directories contain the .session files that  can  be  used
              with the session option.

       $XDGCONFIGHOME/gnome-session/saved-session

              This  directory  contains  the list of applications of the saved
              session.

BUGS
       If you find bugs in the gnome-session program, please report  these  on
       https://bugzilla.gnome.org.

SEE ALSO
       gnome-session-properties(1) gnome-session-quit(1)



                                     GNOME                    GNOME-SESSION(1)