Support for ConsoleKit

• GNOME Display Manager Reference Manual

GDM includes support for publishing user login information with the user and login session accounting framework known as ConsoleKit. ConsoleKit is able to keep track of all the users currently logged in. In this respect, it can be used as a replacement for the utmp or utmpx files that are available on most Unix-like Operating Systems.

When GDM is about to create a new login process for a user it will call a privileged method of ConsoleKit in order to open a new session for this user. At this time GDM also provides ConsoleKit with information about this user session such as: the user ID, the X11 Display name that will be associated with the session, the host-name from which the session originates (useful in the case of an XDMCP session), whether or not this session is attached, etc. As the entity that initiates the user process, GDM is in a unique position to know about the user session and to be trusted to provide these bits of information. The use of this privileged method is restricted by the use of the D-Bus system message bus security policy.

In case a user with an existing session has authenticated at GDM and requests to resume that existing session, GDM calls a privileged method of ConsoleKit to unlock that session. The exact details of what happens when the session receives this unlock signal are undefined and session-specific. However, most sessions will unlock a screensaver in response.

When the user chooses to log out, or if GDM or the session quit unexpectedly the user session will be unregistered from ConsoleKit.