Session manager

[Steve Cooke]

Chris Green wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 29, 2004 at 12:24:23PM +0100, Benedikt Meurer wrote:
> 
>>Chris Green wrote:
[snip]
>>>>In simple terms, a session manager keeps track of the applications that 
>>>>you start so that when you login again it will restore your desktop to 
>>>>the state that it was when you last logged off.
>>>
>>>Which would be a real pain in the backside if it was the only thing it
>>>could do.  I expect a session manager to be able to save a particular
>>>desktop arrangement and then make that arrangement my default whenever
>>>I start up. [snip]
>>
>>Thats not the job of the session manager. The session manager only 
>>remembers the active workspace number for every screen, but the window 
>>positions, workspaces, states, etc. are saved by the window manager when 
>>the session manager tells him to do so.
>>
> Yes, that's fine.  As a user I make a wonderful arrangement of
> windows, applications, xterms, etc. that I want to restore when I
> log in the next time.  Thus (as with CDE) I want ways to:-
> 
>     Tell the session manager (or window manager, as a user I don't
>     really care) that I want to save the arrangement as it is *now*.
> 
>     Tell the start-up sequence (presumably the session manager but
>     again I don't actually care) to restore the arrangement I saved.
>     In CDE this is done by having options to restore - nothing, or the
>     last saved arrangement, or the arrangement when I last logged out.
>     (Actually I think CDE allows one to decide when it's saved, e.g.
>     automatically at logout, when I decide, not at all, etc.)

Thankyou to everyone who replied. I now see that the functionality 
provided by the session manager IS useful - at log out/in.

I never log out of my machine (I use xscreensaver to lock the machine 
when I am not around,) therefore it's looking like I do not need a 
session manager. Xfce is "marketed" as lightweight, so I assume it is 
modular, and that I am able to pick and choose which components I want 
in MY particular instance of Xfce. If I choose not to include a session 
manager (for whatever reason) is there some way to tell the compiler to 
"miss" that module, or simply not include it in the compilation?

Regards,
Steve Cooke.