GNOME Display Manager
 | |
 GDM in Ubuntu (Linux) | |
| Developer(s) | GNOME Team |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 3.10 (26 September 2013) [±][1] |
| Preview release | 3.9.90 (23 August 2013) [±][2] |
| Operating system | Unix-like (includes: BSD, Linux, Solaris) |
| Type |
|
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | www.gnome.org/projects/gdm |
GDM (the GNOME Display Manager) is a display manager (a graphical login program) for the windowing systems X11 and Wayland.
The X Window System by default uses the XDM display manager. However, resolving XDM configuration issues typically involves editing a configuration file. GDM allows users to customize or troubleshoot settings without having to resort to a command line. Users can pick their session type on a per-login basis. GDM 2.38.0 is the last version that features customization with themes; subsequent releases do not support themes.
Hidden features
GDM has a few Easter eggs, in the form of strings to be entered in the username box. These can be found in the source file "gui/guilogin.c", in a function named "evil".[3]
- Dancing login - type "Start Dancing" to start, and "Stop Dancing" to stop. (This requires the standard greeter, rather than the graphical one).
- "Gimme Random Cursor" - can be used repeatedly.
- "Require Quarter" (or "Require Quater", for backward compatibility with a typo in the original),[4] then log in normally - a dialog box appears after entering the password.
Queen of England
Some of the copyright notices of GDM refer to the "Queen of England", whom release announcements from version 2.2.1 also named as a maintainer.[5] Subsequently, developers realised that the title "Queen of England" has not existed since the Acts of Union of 1707.[6]
Removed features
As of version 3.0 the GNOME display manager switched to using AccountService for saving the user's selected session rather than storing it in the user's home directory, effectively making it unusable in networked environment.[7]
See also
- KDM, the KDE display manager
- Other display managers
- getty – a non-graphical login program
- Linux on the desktop
References
- ↑ Clasen, Matthias (26 September 2013), GNOME 3.10 Released, GNOME mailing list, retrieved 26 September 2013
- ↑ Clasen, Matthias (23 August 2013), GNOME 3.9.90, GNOME mailing list, retrieved 27 Aug 2013
- ↑ "gdm - guilogin.c". Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ↑ "GDM commit ee8de912". 5 March 2001. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ↑ "ANNOUNCE: GDM 2.2.1, the 'Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you' release". 4 May 2001. "Gdm2 was originally written by Martin K. Petersen <mkp mkp net>, and is now maintained by the Queen of England."
- ↑ "ANNOUNCE: GDM 2.5.90.2 (unstable), the "Nose poking" release". 4 Mar 2004.
- ↑ "Bug 617465 - GDM ignores user's default session in ~/.dmrc". 5 Jul 2013.
External links
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