# Login Manager Concepts

- SessionsSI

- StartOtherTypesSessionsSI

## Introducing Desktop Sessions

A session is the collection of applications, settings and resources that are present on your desktop. A desktop session occurs between the time you log in and the time you log out. The login screen, created by the Login Manager, is your gateway to the desktop. It provides a place for you to type your user ID and password.

The Options menu on the login screen lists your options. In addition to running a desktop session, you can choose to run a failsafe session. You can also select the language for your session.

After Login Manager authenticates your user ID and password, Session Manager takes over. Session management is a set of conventions and protocols that allow a special session manager such as the Common Desktop Environment Session Manager to save and restore your session. You can log into your system and be presented with the same set of running applications, settings and resources as were present when you logged off. Session Manager saves and restores:

- The appearance and behavior settings&emdash;for example, fonts, colors, and mouse settings.

- The window applications that were running&emdash;for example, your File Manager and Text Editor windows. Certain types of applications cannot be saved and restored by Session Manager. For example, if you start the `vi` editor from a command line in a Terminal window, Session Manager cannot restore your editing session.

When you log into the desktop for the first time, a default initial session is loaded. Afterward, the Session Manager supports the notion of a current and a home session.

## Initial Session

1. When you log into the desktop for the first time, the Session Manager will generate your initial session using system default values. By default, File Manager and an Introduction to Common Desktop Environment are automatically started.

## Current Session

1. Ordinarily, the desktop saves session information when you log out and uses that information to start your next session. If you start or stop applications during your session, or use Style Manager to change the appearance and behavior of your system, changes you make are reflected in your next session.

   Your running session is always considered the current session, whether restored upon login from a saved home session, a saved current session or the system default initial session. Based on your Style Manager Startup settings, when you exit the session, Session Manager automatically saves the current session. When you next log into the desktop, your previously saved current session is restored. This means that the desktop will be restored to same state as it was when the you last logged out.

## Home Session

1. The desktop also provides a home session. A home session is a session that you explicitly save. It's like taking a snapshot of your current session at some point in time. Once you've saved a home session, you can specify that the desktop restores that session instead of the current session the next time you log in.

   See the following tasks:

   - ToSaveHomeSessionTA

   - ToRestoreHomeSessionTA

   - ToDecideOnSessionAtLogout

## Other Ways to Log In

In addition to the regular desktop session, there are additional types of sessions:

Failsafe

- A failsafe session provides a Terminal window and Window Manager. It is useful for executing several commands before logging in to another desktop session. (See ToLoginToFailsafeTA.)

Command Line Login

- Command Line Login lets you temporarily leave the desktop to work in your system console. (See ToEnterCommandLineLoginTA.)