.\"
.\" gnome-session manual page.
.\" (C) 2000 Miguel de Icaza (miguel@helixcode.com)
.\" (C) 2009-2010 Vincent Untz (vuntz@gnome.org)
.\"
.TH GNOME-SESSION 1 "GNOME"
.SH NAME
gnome-session \- Start the GNOME desktop environment
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B gnome-session [\-a|\-\-autostart=DIR] [\-\-session=SESSION] [\-\-failsafe|\-f] [\-\-debug] [\-\-whale]
.SH DESCRIPTION
The \fIgnome-session\fP 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 session, or it will provide a default session for the
user as defined by the system administrator (or the default GNOME
installation on your system).
.PP
The default session is defined in \fBgnome.session\fP, a .desktop-like
file that is looked for in
\fB$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions\fP,
\fB$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions\fP and
\fB$XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions\fP.
.PP
When saving a session, \fIgnome-session\fP saves the currently running
applications in the \fB$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/saved-session\fP
directory.
.PP
\fIgnome-session\fP is an X11R6 session manager. It can manage GNOME
applications as well as any X11R6 SM compliant application.
.SH OPTIONS
The following options are supported:
.TP
.I "--autostart=DIR"
Start all applications defined in \fIDIR\fP, instead of starting the
applications defined in \fBgnome.session\fP, or via the \fI--session\fP
option. Multiple \fI--autostart\fP options can be passed.
.TP
.I "--session=SESSION"
Use the applications defined in \fBSESSION.session\fP. If not specified,
\fBgnome.session\fP will be used.
.TP
.I "--failsafe"
Run in fail-safe mode. User-specified applications will not be started.
.TP
.I "--debug"
Enable debugging code.
.TP
.I "--whale"
Show the fail whale in a dialog for debugging it.
.SH SESSION DEFINITION
Sessions are defined in \fB.session\fP files, that are using a .desktop-like
format, with the following keys in the \fBGNOME Session\fP group:
.TP
.I Name
Name of the session. This can be localized.
.TP
.I RequiredComponents
List of component identifiers (desktop files) that are required by the session. The required components will always run in the session.
.PP
Here is an example of a session definition:
.PP
.in +4n
.nf
[GNOME Session]
Name=GNOME
RequiredComponents=gnome-shell;gnome-settings-daemon;
.in
.fi
.PP
The \fB.session\fP files are looked for in
\fB$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions\fP,
\fB$XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions\fP and
\fB$XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions\fP.
.SH ENVIRONMENT
\fIgnome-session\fP sets several environment variables for the use of
its child processes:
.PP
.B SESSION_MANAGER
.IP
This variable is used by session-manager aware clients to contact
gnome-session.
.PP
.B DISPLAY
.IP
This variable is set to the X display being used by
\fIgnome-session\fP. Note that if the \fI--display\fP option is used
this might be different from the setting of the environment variable
when gnome-session is invoked.
.SH FILES
.PP
.B $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/config/autostart
.B $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/config/autostart
.B /usr/share/gnome/autostart
.IP
The applications defined in those directories will be started on login.
.PP
.B $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/sessions
.B $XDG_CONFIG_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions
.B $XDG_DATA_DIRS/gnome-session/sessions
.IP
These directories contain the \fB.session\fP files that can be used
with the \fI--session\fP option.
.PP
.B $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/gnome-session/saved-session
.IP
This directory contains the list of applications of the saved session.
.SH BUGS
If you find bugs in the \fIgnome-session\fP program, please report
these on https://bugzilla.gnome.org.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR gnome-session-quit(1)