The Login WindowThe user interface to kdm consists of dialog boxes. The main dialog box contains:
Widgets allowing you to authenticate. When the "classic" authentication method is chosen, these are:
A Username: field for you to enter your username.
A Password: field for you to enter your password.
(Optionally) a list containing entries with the name and graphical image of each user (for example, a digitized photograph). Clicking a list entry is equivalent to typing the associated username into the Username: field.
(Optionally) a region to the right of or above the authentication area which can be used to display either a static image or an analog clock.
A button that validates the username/password combination and attempts to start a session of the selected type.
A button that opens an action menu with the following items:
(Optionally) A item to choose the type of session (desktop environment, window manager) to start. See Chapter 8, Supporting multiple window managers to find out how to configure different session types.
(Optionally) A item to switch between different authentication methods like the classical username+password, smartcard, biometry, etc.. The actual authenticators are combinations of PAM modules and matching frontend modules (“conversation plugins”). See
PluginsLogin.(Optionally on local displays) A item to switch between local sessions running on different virtual terminals of this computer.
(Optionally on local displays) A item that terminates the currently running X-Server, starts a new one and displays the login dialog again. You can use this if the display content seems to be broken somehow.
(Optionally on remote displays) A item that closes the connection to the XDMCP server you are currently connected to. If you got to this server through a host chooser, this will bring you back to the chooser, otherwise it will only reset the X-Server and bring up the login dialog again.
(Optionally on local displays) A item that displays a host chooser dialog with XDMCP servers one can log into remotely.
(Optionally on local displays) A item that terminates graphical login and leaves you at the console. See
ConsoleTTYsandServerTTY.(Optionally) A item that displays the Shutdown dialog box.
The Shutdown dialog box presents a set of buttons that allow one of these actions to be executed:
- Turn Off Computer
Shut the system down in a controlled manner, ready for power-down.
- Restart Computer
Shut the system down and reboot. For systems that use Lilo or Grub, an optional drop down box allows you to select a particular operating system to be used for the reboot.
- Schedule...
If this option is enabled, you may use it to enter a more complex shutdown dialog. See
ScheduledSdfor details.
Pressing the button returns to the main kdm dialog box.