dxsession(1X) — Commands
Digital
NAME
dxsession, Xconsole − DECwindows session manager and error log window
SYNOPSIS
dxsession
DESCRIPTION
The dxsession program provides a graphical interface to DECwindows session management functionality. You can use dxsession to invoke applications and to customize the workstation environment.
A DECwindows session begins when you log into the workstation through the xdm login prompt. The dxsession program is automatically executed by xdm as the default DECwindows session manager. When started, dxsession first reads the Xdefaults file in your home directory and incorporates those resource values into the X Server. Next, dxsession starts a window manager, the default being mwm . You may specify another window manager in your Xdefaults file or with the session manager Customize Window dialog.
After the session manager window appears dxsession runs the applications and shell scripts specified in the AutoStart list. If you have a X11Startup file in your home directory, it will be appended to the AutoStart list automatically. This script is rarely necessary, unless you require complex startup actions or the setting of environment variables.
Use the Customize menu to tailor dxsession . Whenever you save the attributes you have specified by means of the Customize dialogs, dxsession writes resource specifications into your Xdefaults file. Note that the Xdefaults file is only read by dxsession once, when it starts.
xdm Login Prompt
The xdm login prompt gives you inital access to the workstation by prompting you for a name and password. For more information see xdm(1X).
Session Manager Window
The session manager window consists of the following areas:
Title BarDisplays window manager icons that let you move and resize the session manager window, and shrink the window to an icon. For more information, see mwm(1X).
Menu BarLists the available dxsession menus (such as Applications and Customize).
Menus
The session manager window contains the following menus:
Session
Applications
Customize
Help
Session Menu
The Session menu contains the following items:
PausePlaces a blank screen over the workstation screen and displays the Continue Session dialog box, which prompts for the password of the person whose session was paused. When you enter the correct password, dxsession removes the blank screen and resumes the session.
QuitEnds the current session and exits from all applications.
Applications Menu
The Applications menu contains a list of applications that you can start. By default it includes all of the standard DECwindows applications (Mail, Calendar, DECterm, and so forth). Choose one of the applications to start it up. You can add applications as items on the menu or remove those currently listed by choosing the Applications Menu item from the Customize menu.
Customize
The Customize menu contains the following items:
Application Definitions...Displays a dialog box that lets you provide or change application definitions. An application definition consists of the name to use in Session Manager menus and the associated command that is executed when dxsession starts the application. Applications must be defined before you can add them to the Applications menu or Autostartup list.
Applications Menu...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify the applications that appear on the Applications menu. You must define an application by means of the Customize Applications Definitions menu before you add it to to the Applications menu.
AutoStartup...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify the applications that dxsession automatically starts each time a session starts. You must define an application by means of the Customize Applications Definitions menu before you add it to to the Applications menu.
Keyboard...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify characteristics of your keyboard (such as bell and keyclick volume).
Language...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify the language in which you prefer to work.
Pointer...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify characteristics of your pointer (such as its shape and color).
Security...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify the hosts that can display applications on this workstation.
Session Manager...Displays a dialog box that lets you customize attributes of dxsession. These include its start-up state (as an icon or opened window), the text that appears when your workstation is paused, and the message region’s size and header.
Window...Displays a dialog box that lets you specify screen and window characteristics. These include colors, size of your icons, and on some systems, the screen background pattern. In addition, if you want to use a window manager other than the default DECwindows one, you can specify it here.
Use Last Saved SettingsRestores the settings you last saved.
Use System DefaultsRestores the system default settings.
Save Current SettingsSaves the current settings.
HelpOverview gives an overview of Session Manager’s menus and features. About provides information about the software version.
X Console
The X console is started in icon form by the session manager at login. The X console records all messages sent to /dev/console as well as any output from the session manager, and then can be used as an enter by window.
When the X console window has been restored from an icon, you can click on the Dismiss button to shrink the window to an icon or click on the Clear button to delete existing text from the window and shrink the window to an icon.
X Defaults
The dxsession application uses the values present in the .Xdefaults file in your home directory, when you first log in to customize the appearance and characteristics of its windows and dialogs. The format for a resource specification in the Xdefaults file is: [name∗]resource: value
nameSpecifies the application name or the name string that restricts the resource assignment to that application or to a component of an application. If this argument is not specified, the resource assignment is globally available to all X applications.
resourceSpecifies the resource.
valueSpecifies the value that is to be assigned to the resource.
For more information, see X(1X).
Because each toolkit-based application can consist of a combination of widgets (for example, push buttons and a scroll bar), you can form the name string by adding widget class and name identifiers to the string. For further information about adding class and name identifiers, see X(1X).
Note that the first name for lines that apply only to the session manager should be labeled "DXsession". The first name for lines that apply only to the X console should be labeled "xconsole".
For dxsession, the available classes are:
AttachedDialogBox
Dialog
Label
MainWindow
Menu
Menubar
Message
Pulldown
Pushbutton
Text
Toggle
For dxsession, the available names are:
ConfirmFilename
ConfirmPrint
CreatePulldown
CustomizeAutoStart
CustomizeAppDef
CustomizeAppMenu
CustomizeKeyboard
CustomizePrinter
CustomizePulldown
CustomizeSecurity
CustomizeSession
CustomizeWindow
MainWindow
Menubar
Messages
SessionPulldown
SETLANGUAGE_BOX
WorkAreaDialog
In addition to the general resources listed in X(1X), and those that the Customize dialog boxes specify, dxsession uses the following resources:
terminalEmulatorNameSpecifies the name of the terminal emulator to run at dxsession startup. The default is xterm.
pointer_shapeSpecifies the design of the pointer character. DECwindows pointers are specified by negative numbers; choose the pointer by using the Customize Pointer dialog box. MIT pointers can be specified by positive numbers that correspond to values in /usr/include/X11/cursorfont.h.
AutoStartA list of applications, delimited by commas, to be considered for starting up by dxsession at startup time.
num_AutoStartAn integer indicating how many of the applications specified in the AutoStart resource to actually be started. If the AutoStart resource contains 5 applications and the value of num_AutoStart is 3, only the first three of the AutoStart applications are started.
Xsession.bell_enableSpecifies whether the keyboard bell is enabled or not. Default value is enabled.
bell_percentSpecifies the integer value of the volume of the bell. Default value is 50.
keyclick_enableSpecifies whether the keyclick resource is enabled or not. Default value is enabled.
keyclick_percentSpecifies the integer value of the volume of the keyclick. Default value is 50.
autorepeat_modeSpecifies whether the autorepeat mode is enabled or not. Default value is enabled.
lock_stateSpecifies the mode of the keyboard when the value of the resource is in use. Default value is caps.
screen_saver_enableSpecifies whether the screen_saver resource is enabled or not. Default value is enabled.
screen_saver_periodSpecifies the integer value of the number of minutes during which, if there is no keyboard or mouse activity, the system enables the screen_saver. Default value is 10 (minutes).
display_foregroundSpecifies the color of the foreground of the display. Default value is black.
display_backgroundSpecifies the color of the background of the display. Default value is white.
display_patternSpecifies the pattern of the display. Default value is 0.
pointer_foregroundSpecifies the color of the foreground of the pointer. Default value is white.
pointer_backgroundSpecifies the color of the background of the display. Default value is white.
startup_stateSpecifies the state of the session manager when it is started up. Default value is mapped. Alternate value is iconified.
confirm_endsessionSpecifies whether the session manager is to query for confirmation if the user chooses to Quit. Default value is 1 (true).
host_listSpecifies a list of hosts, delimited by commas. The list is used by the Security feature of the session manager. Default value is an empty list.
num_hostsSpecifies an integer representing the number of hosts mentioned in the host_list resource to be considered. Default value is 0.
AppMenuSpecifies a list of applications, delimited by commas, to be used by the Applications button of the Customize feature of the session manager. Default value is an empty list.
num_AppMenuSpecifies an integer representing the number of applications mentioned in the AppMenu resource to be used. Default value is 0.
AutoStartSpecifies a list of applications, delimited by commas, to be started up by the session manager at startup time. Default value is an empty list.
num_AutoStartSpecifies an integer representing the number of Applications mentioned in the AutoStart resource to be used. Default value is 0.
xSpecifies an integer representing the x-coordinate of the session manager window at startup time.
Default value is 0.
ySpecifies an integer representing the y-coordinate of the session manager window at startup time.
Default value is 0.
pause_textSpecifies a string to be displayed in the Pause feature of the session manager. Default value ["Type your password to resume the session."
windowManagerNameSpecifies a string representing the name of the window manager to be started up by the session manager. Default value is System Default.
applicationsSpecifies a list of applications, delimited by commas, to be used by the Applications feature of the session manager.
a,b,c,dto be replaced by the user.
num_applicationsSpecifies an integer representing the number of Applications mentioned in the applications resource to be used. Default value is 2.
startupfilenameSpecifies a file to be executed at startup time by the session manager. This feature will become obsolete in the next release, and it is suggested that the resource value for this resource be appended to the list of AutoStart resource value. The current release apppend the value (if any) to the AutoStart list, and comments out the line containing this resource name.
rootPasswdSpecifies whether the session manager is to consider the root password also while checking whether a typed string matches the user’s password. It becomes useful when the session is to be resumed from a paused state. Default value is false.
X Console Resources
rowsSpecifies the height of the sconsole window. Default value is 10.
columns
Specifies the width of the xconsole window. Default value is 40.
FILES
~/.login
~/.cshrc
~/.X11Startup
~/.Xdefaults
/usr/lib/X11/app-defaults/DXsession
/usr/lib/X11/uid/DXsession
/usr/lib/X11/getcons