Runlevel4 and multi-users?
 

How can I have it so when I load up KDM in Runlevel4 that I can have one user run stuff, then have the processes continue, but end up letting users switch, so two users are using the processor, even though only 1 is on at one time? I'm also curious to know how I can do this while keeping the privacy factor available, where to get access to the other profile or user, you have to put in the user's password? Essentially, I'm wondering how to run something similar to Win+L on XP, but for Linux. I know that if I go to RL3, you can switch by hitting Ctrl+Alt+F1-6 or whatnot, but it doesn't have the same privacy as I'm looking for since no password is required to go back into the inital console.

Use runlevel 3, and run kdm from
rc.local

The second user can startx from
a console. The trick is to start it
with an & (startx -- :1&), and then
close the console ... and before
the next person takes over, just
activate screen lock... switching
back and forth then works like
a charm with Ctrl-Alt-F7 and
Ctrl-Alt-F8, and the password
protection and privacy is still
granted...


Cheers,
Tink

I'm not sure I fully understand what you are trying to accomplish (I have very little XP experience). There are a couple of ways of having multiple users working on the same machine concurrently.

1. Once at runlevel #4 you can switch to the remaining virtual console with Slackware by the <ctrl><alt><F6> key combination. From there you can start another xsession as that user with the command "startx -- :1". This will start another X session on virtual console <F8>. You should be able to toggle between them with the key combinations <ctrl><alt><F7> and <ctrl><alt><F8>. This does not provide any additional security as you noted in your comments about runlevel #3. You could lock the X session with xlock or xscreensaver but that won't prevent someone from hitting <ctrl><alt><backspace> and toying with your login on virtual console F6.

2. If you have gdm and Xnest installed you can run the command "gdmflexiserver --xnest" to get a gdm login window withing the current X session. This is probably worse from a security perspective than #1.

3. There may be a way to hack the startup scripts and gdm/kdm configurations to run two instances of kdm on virtual consoles #7 and #8 ($DISPLAY :0.0 and :1.0). This would give you the security benefits you're looking but I've never even tried going down that road.

4. If the machine is networked then there are numerous options available to accomplish this by accessing the host remotely with XDMCP, ssh -X or other methods.

I'm on my XP box right now, and I'm too tired to bother with this tonight. I'll probably look through it Friday and see if I can do anything you guys have suggested so far. One thing I can see is if the users had the screensaver automatically lock, so they wouldn't have to forget and worry as much about the problem. If I go with rc.3 and edit the rc.local, will I notice significant performance decreases just b/c of that on my 200mhz computer? I remember seeing something in Gnome about opening up a new virtual console and everything, maybe I'll check that out Friday as well.

Well, good night, auf wiedersehen und gute Nacht!