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<page xmlns="http://projectmallard.org/1.0/"
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type="topic" style="task"
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<revision pkgversion="3.4.2" version="0.1" date="2012-12-01" status="draft"
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<link type="guide" xref="index" group="login" />
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<credit type="author copyright">
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<name>minnie_eg</name>
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<email>amany.elguindy@gmail.com</email>
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<credit type="author copyright">
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<name>Jana Svarova</name>
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<email>jana.svarova@gmail.com</email>
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<desc>Install a desktop session file.</desc>
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<include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>
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<title>Create a custom session</title>
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<cite date="2012-11-19"
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href="mailto:amany_elguindy@gmail.com">minnie_eg</cite>
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<p>This assumes the reader knows how to edit files as the root user and how
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to navigate through the manual page. By the end of this page,
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the reader will be able to create custom sessions with different
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<p>To create a custom session with different options, follow these steps:</p>
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<item><p>Create a desktop file in the <file>/usr/share/xsessions/new-session.desktop</file> file format. The content of the desktop file should contain the following entries:</p>
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Comment=This is our custom session
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<input>Exec</input>=gnome-session
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<item><p>Type <cmd>man gnome-session</cmd> into the Terminal to display more information on session options and
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parameters that can be used with <code>Exec</code>.</p>
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<item><p>Save the custom session file that includes various parameters in
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the <file>/usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/new-session.session</file> file.</p>
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<p>Run the custom session by using the <cmd>Exec=gnome-session --session=new-session</cmd> command.</p>
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<note style="note style">
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<p>Note that after creating the session desktop file with the user
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root, the new session will be available on the sessions list of the
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GDM log-in screen.</p>
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<section id="custom-session-classic-mode">
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<title>Classic mode</title>
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<p>"classic mode" as an example of a custom session</p>
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<section id="custom-session-set-up">
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<title>Set up a custom session</title>
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<p>How to set up a custom session that shows up in the session chooser on the login screen.</p>
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<section id="custom-session-change">
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<title>Change the default session</title>
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<p>How to change the default session for new users.</p>
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<section id="custom-session-issues">
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<title>Known issues</title>
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<p>On a Debian or Debian-based system, the following error may occur:</p>
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<screen>Xsession: unable to launch ""
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Xsession --- "" not found; falling back to default
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<p>Should this happen to you, follow these steps to change the
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<file>/etc/X11/Xsession.d/20x11-common_process-args</file> file.</p>
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<item><p>Change <code>STARTUP_FULL_PATH=$(/usr/bin/which <input>"$1"</input>|| true)</code>
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to <code>STARTUP_FULL_PATH=$(/usr/bin/which <input>$1</input> || true)</code>
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<item><p>Change <code>STARTUP=<input>"$1"</input></code> to <code>STARTUP=<input>$1</input></code>