Q1: Is it possible different users to have different language interfaces (menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions running on the same machine, so as different users to log in at the same time, and switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME, other using XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
Thanks in advance.
OS: CentOS 5.0 x86.
Ioannis Vranos wrote:
Q1: Is it possible different users to have different language interfaces (menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions running on the same machine, so as different users to log in at the same time, and switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME, other using XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
Thanks in advance.
OS: CentOS 5.0 x86.
Q1: Is it possible different users to have different language interfaces (menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions running on the same machine, so as different users to log in at the same time, and switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME, other using XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
Thanks in advance.
On Wed, 2007-09-12 at 17:23 +0300, Ioannis Vranos wrote:
OS: CentOS 5.0 x86.
Q1: Is it possible different users to have different language interfaces (menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?
I'm not familiar enough with this to help, but I've done something that may help you find your way on the next question. I suspect the normal LC_* environmental stuff will be needed for the language solution.
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions running on the same machine, so as different users to log in at the same time, and switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME, other using XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
<soapbox> It may be redundant, but please be *aware* of the security implications of what you are seeking. "The law of unintended consequences" will certainly come into play if you are truly multi-user. Effects in social interactions, swap usage, system responsiveness can all be expected. You can expect to be asked to do an excessive numbers of restores of backup at a specific point in time (which you won't have) as user A destroys user B's stuff, by intent or accident.
</soapbox>
As root, from shell,
startx -- :1 # or 2, 3, ...
gets a session started as root. There are more params that can be passed.
For a login process, a basic process is
xdm -server ":1 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X :1" # or 2, 3, ...
This gets a basic default layout session going. Other files and parameters may be needed to suit your needs.
Your friend is "man xdm" and *many* others: startx, X, ... follow the path in the "See Also" sections.
Many of the files are scripts. Viewing them can prove instructive.
I've not looked (no need) but I bet there are "primers" out on the web for this sort of stuff too.
Investigate also, this line from /etc/inittab. It may prove more useful to allow automatic start of the extra X instances.
x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon
I would have responded sooner, but I'm such a neophyte at this X stuff that I felt certain someone else would answer with better information.
Good luck.
<snip sig stuff>
HTH -- Bill
William L. Maltby wrote:
On Wed, 2007-09-12 at 17:23 +0300, Ioannis Vranos wrote:
OS: CentOS 5.0 x86.
Q1: Is it possible different users to have different
language interfaces
(menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?I'm not familiar enough with this to help, but I've done something that may help you find your way on the next question. I suspect the normal LC_* environmental stuff will be needed for the language solution.
Yes, so long as you have all the language packages installed for each language for each GUI (KDE, Gnome, XFCE, etc).
Console language selection is set through .profile or .login or .bashrc and setting the LANG= environment variable.
GUI language selection is set through the settings applet of that particular GUI.
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions
running on the
same machine, so as different users to log in at thesame time, and
switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME,other using
XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
<soapbox> It may be redundant, but please be *aware* of the security implications of what you are seeking. "The law of unintended consequences" will certainly come into play if you are truly multi-user. Effects in social interactions, swap usage, system responsiveness can all be expected. You can expect to be asked to do an excessive numbers of restores of backup at a specific point in time (which you won't have) as user A destroys user B's stuff, by intent or accident.
</soapbox>
Hogwash, while yes you will definitely need more resources as far as hard disk, memory and network there is no need to worry about user X overwritting user Y's data. Hell Unix and it's variants had been successfully doing multi-user X sessions for years before even Windows 95 was a glint in Bill's eyes.
Please put user home directories on a RAID10 share as things like Firefox HTML cache cause lots of random IO per-user.
As root, from shell,
startx -- :1 # or 2, 3, ...gets a session started as root. There are more params that can be passed.
For a login process, a basic process is
xdm -server ":1 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X :1" # or 2, 3, ...This gets a basic default layout session going. Other files and parameters may be needed to suit your needs.
Your friend is "man xdm" and *many* others: startx, X, ... follow the path in the "See Also" sections.
Many of the files are scripts. Viewing them can prove instructive.
I've not looked (no need) but I bet there are "primers" out on the web for this sort of stuff too.
Investigate also, this line from /etc/inittab. It may prove more useful to allow automatic start of the extra X instances.
x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemonI would have responded sooner, but I'm such a neophyte at this X stuff that I felt certain someone else would answer with better information.
Look at /etc/X11/xdm/Xaccess (for vanilla xdm)
If running kdm look at /etc/kde/kdm/kdmrc for extra security settings.
Basically you'll have your X server broadcast it's services for all X clients to choose to use, you may also need to have your font server allow connections from X clients so the clients can have access to the same fonts as the server.
For multiple user sessions on a single workstation I believe both KDE and Gnome support this (I know KDE does for sure).
-Ross
______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender and permanently delete the original and any copy or printout thereof.
On Sun, 2007-09-16 at 13:09 -0400, Ross S. W. Walker wrote:
William L. Maltby wrote:
On Wed, 2007-09-12 at 17:23 +0300, Ioannis Vranos wrote:
OS: CentOS 5.0 x86.
Q1: Is it possible different users to have different
language interfaces
(menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?<snip>
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions
running on the
same machine, so as different users to log in at thesame time, and
switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME,other using
XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
<soapbox> It may be redundant, but please be *aware* of the security implications of what you are seeking. "The law of unintended consequences" will certainly come into play if you are truly multi-user. Effects in social interactions, swap usage, system responsiveness can all be expected. You can expect to be asked to do an excessive numbers of restores of backup at a specific point in time (which you won't have) as user A destroys user B's stuff, by intent or accident.
</soapbox>
Hogwash, while yes you will definitely need more resources as far as hard disk, memory and network there is no need to worry about user X overwritting user Y's data. Hell Unix and it's variants had been successfully doing multi-user X sessions for years before even Windows 95 was a glint in Bill's eyes.
Did you miss the part where OP said on local console using <Ctl>- <ALT> ...? Or did I imagine it?
If I remember correctly, then your hogwash would seem inappropriate, since any casual user can switch to another's session. If the lock is not set (x lock?), no password would be needed.
<snip>
-- Bill
On Sun, 2007-09-16 at 13:09 -0400, Ross S. W. Walker wrote:
William L. Maltby wrote:
On Wed, 2007-09-12 at 17:23 +0300, Ioannis Vranos wrote:
<snip>
Hogwash, while yes you will definitely need more resources as far as hard disk, memory and network there is no need to worry about user X overwritting user Y's data. Hell Unix and it's variants had been successfully doing multi-user X sessions for years before even Windows 95 was a glint in Bill's eyes.
As an after-thought, it occurred to me that I may have not been obvious enough in my original reply. Having been working on *IX variants since PWB V6/7, circa 1978, I've some understanding of *IX general capabilities, and some understanding of the basic capabilities of various utilities that run on *IX systems. I'm not expert at anything, but don't claim such expertise either.
As to my soapbox paragraph, it seems to fit with generally accepted concerns about security issues, at which I'm also no expert. If the requested <CTL>-<ALT>... does not imply a local console, I'm glad to learn new stuff.
<snip>
-- Bill
William L. Maltby wrote:
On Sun, 2007-09-16 at 13:09 -0400, Ross S. W. Walker wrote:
William L. Maltby wrote:
On Wed, 2007-09-12 at 17:23 +0300, Ioannis Vranos wrote:
<snip>
Hogwash, while yes you will definitely need more resources as far as hard disk, memory and network there is no need to worry
about user
X overwritting user Y's data. Hell Unix and it's variants had been successfully doing multi-user X sessions for years before
even Windows
95 was a glint in Bill's eyes.
As an after-thought, it occurred to me that I may have not been obvious enough in my original reply. Having been working on *IX variants since PWB V6/7, circa 1978, I've some understanding of *IX general capabilities, and some understanding of the basic capabilities of various utilities that run on *IX systems. I'm not expert at anything, but don't claim such expertise either.
As to my soapbox paragraph, it seems to fit with generally accepted concerns about security issues, at which I'm also no expert. If the requested <CTL>-<ALT>... does not imply a local console, I'm glad to learn new stuff.
My apologies for the abrasiveness of my statement.
Corruption won't occur, but yes if you aren't using the built-in user switching capability of the GUI and are just spawning X sessions on virtual terminals on the console it is conceivable that security can be compromised.
The built-in user switching in KDE and Gnome auto-locks the current session, or if the current session is locked allows the console user to spawn a secondary session on the next available virtual terminal.
This is what the OP is most likely going to want to use.
In a home environment when configuring a shared workstation there is no real need for the extra resources (except memory) as there will really only be 1 interactive user at 1 time.
In a corporate environment where a shared X server is handling multiple X terminals then you will need to scale disk and network appropriately.
-Ross
______________________________________________________________________ This e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail, and any attachments thereto, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender and permanently delete the original and any copy or printout thereof.
OS: CentOS 5.0 x86.
Q1: Is it possible different users to have different language interfaces (menus etc) on the same machine under X.Org (GNOME or KDE)?
Q2: Is it possible to have more than one X.Org sessions running on the same machine, so as different users to log in at the same time, and switch between users X.Org sessions (one using GNOME, other using XFCE) by using the usual Ctrl-Alt-Fx keys?
Thanks in advance.
-
Ioannis Vranos -
Ross S. W. Walker -
William L. Maltby