Multiple X terminals?
 

Something I have never thought of (for some reason) is: Can there be more than one user logged into XWindow at the same workstation at the same time?

The reason I ask is that I'd like to log myself AND my wife into my linbox, then make it easy to have her switch between her and my X desktop. T

he main reason for this is that Evolution doesn't support multiple Identities (as Outlook Express does), and my wife doesn't want to have to learn how to log out, then log back in then startx etc. If it was as easy as hitting Alt F7 or something that would be great.

Is this possible?

Instead of alt+F1-6 for extra console terms, in X it's ctrl-alt-F1-6 for extra X sessions.

multiple X-sessions?
 

Where does this work?
In the versions of Linux I know, ctrl-alt-F1-6 activates console terms (that is quite useful, too), but I don't know of any possibility to activate multiple X sessions simultaneously.

From http://www.comptechdoc.org/os/linux/...ide/index.html

Which addresses this (although it isn't *quite* clear whether you use Alt -Fx for X window switching or not):


There are normally 6 virtual terminals in Linux, available by using Alt-F1 through Alt-F6. Each one can be logged in as a different user. There are normally 6 terminals available in X also, F7 through F12. The first X session will be on F7 (if on a local terminal), the second on F8, and so forth. If an X session is started from F1 and you also have an active session on F2, you can type Ctrl-Alt-F2 to go from the X session to the virtual console on F2. Also to get back to your X session, you can type Ctrl-Alt-F7. This example assumes that your terminals are setup in the standard manner with 6 virtual terminals that spawn the getty program available. You can check your setup by checking your /etc/inittab file. You should have lines like the following in your file.

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6

See the section on init for further information on this file.


My question is this: Would I have to login as user A, startx, then switch to another virtual login prompt, login as user B and startx before I could switch between X terminals?

I guess this is a newbie question, but seeing as it's here now I'm not going to multi-post....

Could someone clarify the steps to take to be able to do this, please?

Thanks in advance.

yeah X just adds a CTRL to the ALT + F? thing... probably to try to stop people doing that by mistake as it sets it apart from standard x hotkeys which generally operate at a different kinda level.

i'm farly sure you can't have two x servers running, as they lock various resources which won't be shared.

not sure about any otehr easy solutions, but what you can do is to set up ssh and the log into the same machine over ssh using X forwarding. that does slow it down a bit tho, the delays in ssh logging in.. once you're logged in you can then run any app as whoever.

if that works, you could easily automate it to log in using RSA to save using a password, and run whatever X progams automatically in a script...

probably a better way than that tho

Use ctrl-alt-F2 to get to a new console login. Log in and type "startx -- :1" and it will start X in a new session. You can now go back to you old X session(:0) by using ctrl-alt-F7 and your newly created session by using ctrl-alt-F8. FYI, the console/X corresponding function keys are F1==F7, F2==F8, F3==F9 etc.

You can start a third X session by using ctrl-alt-F3, logging in and typing "startx -- :2". This session will be on F3/F9. All that is assuming you haven't changed any of the mingetty settings in /etc/inittab ;) .

Speck

That's as clear a set of instructions as anyone could hope for.

Thanks!

A word of caution though:

I have found that running startx -- :2 will work fine as long as you don't intend switching back and forth from your x sessions. Using kdm or gdm works a treat though. Just do the same as mentioned above (but type kdm instead).

im not sure if this will work with evolution but i do know that the su command (that everyone uses to become root) can be used to log you in as another user. type





then it will ask you for the password, enter it and your laughing!



this will work in Xterms (or eterm. whatever you use)

HTH



Alex