14.3. User Sessions

Procedure 14.5. Specifying a Default Session for a User

1. Make sure that you have the gnome-session-xsession package installed by running the following command:

   # yum install gnome-session-xsession

2. Navigate to the /usr/share/xsessions directory where you can find .desktop files for each of the available sessions. Consult the contents of the .desktop files to determine the session you want to use.
3. To specify a default session for a user, update the user's account service in the /var/lib/AccountsService/users/username file:

   [User]
   Language=
   XSession=gnome

   In this sample, GNOME has been set as the default session, using the /usr/share/xsessions/gnome.desktop file. Note that the system default in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 is GNOME Classic (the /usr/share/xsessions/gnome-classic.desktop file).

1. Create a .desktop file in /etc/X11/sessions/new-session.desktop. Make sure that the file specifies the following entries:

   [Desktop Entry]
   Encoding=UTF-8
   Type=Application
   Name=Custom Session
   Comment=This is our custom session
   Exec=gnome-session --session=new-session

   The Exec entry specifies the command, possibly with arguments, to execute. You can run the custom session with the gnome-session --session=new-session command.
   For more information on the parameters that you can use with gnome-session, see the gnome-session(1) man page.
2. Create a custom session file in /usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/new-session.session where you can specify the name and required components for the session:

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

   Note that any item that you specify in RequiredComponents needs to have its corresponding .desktop file in /usr/share/applications/.

Procedure 14.6. Viewing User Session Logs

1. Determine your user ID (uid) by running the following command:

   $ id --user
   1000

2. View the journal logs for the user ID determined above:

   $ journalctl _UID=1000

Procedure 14.7. Adding an Autostart (Startup) Application for All Users

1. Create a .desktop file in the /etc/xdg/autostart/ directory:

   [Desktop Entry]
   Type=Application
   Name=Files
   Exec=nautilus -n
   OnlyShowIn=GNOME;
   AutostartCondition=GSettings org.gnome.desktop.background show-desktop-icons

2. Replace Files with the name of the application.
3. Replace nautilus -n with the command you wish to use to run the application.
4. You can use the AutostartCondition key to check for a value of a GSettings key.
   The session manager runs the application automatically if the key's value is true. If the key's value changes in the running session, the session manager starts or stops the application, depending on what the previous value for the key was.

Procedure 14.8. Setting Automatic Logout for a Mains Powered Machine

1. Create a local database for machine-wide settings in /etc/dconf/db/local.d/00-autologout:

   [org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/power]
   # Set the timeout to 900 seconds when on mains power
   sleep-inactive-ac-timeout=900
   # Set action after timeout to be logout when on mains power
   sleep-inactive-ac-type='logout'

2. Override the user's setting and prevent the user from changing it in /etc/dconf/db/local.d/locks/autologout:

   # Lock automatic logout settings
   /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/power/sleep-inactive-ac-timeout
   /org/gnome/settings-daemon/plugins/power/sleep-inactive-ac-type
   

3. Update the system databases:

   # dconf update

4. Users must log out and back in again before the system-wide settings take effect.

Procedure 14.9. Enabling the Screensaver and Locking the Screen

1. Create a local database for system-wide settings in /etc/dconf/db/local.d/00-screensaver:

   [org/gnome/desktop/session]
   # Set the lock time out to 180 seconds before the session is considered idle
   idle-delay=uint32 180
   [org/gnome/desktop/screensaver]
   # Set this to true to lock the screen when the screensaver activates
   lock-enabled=true
   # Set the lock timeout to 180 seconds after the screensaver has been activated
   lock-delay=uint32 180

   You must include the uint32 along with the integer key values as shown.
2. Override the user's setting and prevent the user from changing it in the /etc/dconf/db/local.d/locks/screensaver file:

   # Lock desktop screensaver settings
   /org/gnome/desktop/session/idle-delay
   /org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/lock-enabled
   /org/gnome/desktop/screensaver/lock-delay
   

3. Update the system databases:

   # dconf update

4. Users must log out and back in again before the system-wide settings take effect.

Procedure 14.10. Making a Screencast

1. To start the recording, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R.
   When the recorder is capturing the screen activity, it displays a red circle in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
2. To stop the recording, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+R. The red circle in the bottom-right corner of the screen disappears.
3. Navigate to the ~/Videos folder where you can find the recorded video with a file name that starts with Screencast and includes the date and time of the recording.