GNOME-SESSION(1)GNOME-SESSION(1)NAMEgnome-session - Start the GNOME desktop environment
SYNOPSISgnome-session [--autostart=DIR] [--session=SESSION] [--failsafe|-f]
[--debug]
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 $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions,
$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions and $XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-ses‐
sion/sessions.
When saving a session, gnome-session saves the currently running appli‐
cations in the $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/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.
RequiredProviders
List of task providers that are required by the session. A
default provider for each task has to be defined with a Default‐
Provider-TASK key; the provider can be overridden by required
components, the saved session or autostart applications. The
task providers will always run in the session.
DefaultProvider-TASK
Identifier (desktop file) of the default provider for TASK. If
no provider for TASK is found in the required components, the
saved session and in the autostart applications, the default
provider will be started.
Here is an example of a session definition:
[GNOME Session]
Name=GNOME fallback
RequiredComponents=gnome-panel;metacity;gnome-settings-daemon;
RequiredProviders=notifications;
DefaultProvider-notifications=notification-daemon
The .session files are looked for in $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-ses‐
sion/sessions, $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions and
$XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions.
ENVIRONMENTgnome-session sets several environment variables for the use of its
child processes:
SESSION_MANAGER
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
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/config/autostart $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/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.
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-ses‐
sion/sessions $XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions
These directories contain the .session files that can be used
with the --session option.
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/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 ALSOgnome-session-properties(1)gnome-session-save(1)
GNOME GNOME-SESSION(1)
