I have gnome 2.14 installed but I mostly use a simple fvwm desktop. However, I would like to be able to switch to a different user in a similar way as you can do in gnome.

Is there any command/applet/... I could run in order to switch?

(I am aware of C-A-F* shortcuts).

I hesitated to answer, but see that your question has been waiting for almost 24 hours.

For a shell command to switch user, do this at the shell command prompt:

Hope this helps.

Thanks, wjevans,

I am well aware of the "su" command. What I am looking for, is a way to switch the complete desktop. Something like you achieve, when starting two x servers and switching between them by C-A-Fxx or when using modern gnome and choosing "switch user" (I don't know about KDE).

How is that switching achieved? Do I have to run a program, or to call gdm with particular switches or what?

Any help appreciated,
Ott

I apologize. It is only now that I read your original question more carefully.

It turns out that I run fvwm2 also, and will until you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

I have a working arrangement that's similar to what you're asking for, but not quite the same.

When fvwm2 comes up for me, it has nothing on the screen except the wallpaper, the desktop pane window in the lower right corner, and the minibuttons below that.

I have removed most of the minibuttons from the lower right corner. The only ones left are the bomb, the calculator, and the xterm terminal icon.

But I use the terminal icon to run an ugliness that I wrote. That ugliness pops up something that allows me to log in (even showing the /etc/issue stuff). That way I can mix and match users on the same screen, which can be handy.

If I wanted to, I could put different users on different desktops within fvwm2 and switch between them with a single keystroke. It's just a matter of being on the right desktop when using that ugliness to log in.

Are you interested in details, or does this already make you wanna puke?

gdmflexiserver is the gnome user switcher.

--help will print usage information.
-x will run a new X session in a window in your current X session, if you have Xnest installed.
-l will not tell gnome-screensaver to require a password to return to the current session.
-s runs a new X session on a different virtual terminal, so you can switch between the different sessions with Ctrl+Alt+F*.

There are a few other command line options, too. See the usage for more information.

P.S. You can also use fast-user-switch-applet.

Thank you lithis, this is what I was looking for. The xnest mode seems actually quite cool.