GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 421912
Integrate session management in the process list
Last modified: 2013-02-13 21:46:58 UTC
I thought I already opened such a bug, but maybe this was only an IRC discussion. Right now, we have a list of processes that can talk with the session manager in gnome-session-properties, and we a have a list of processes in the system monitor. I believe it makes sense to get rid of the list of processes in gnome-session-properties, and move the useful features to the system monitor.
And what are the useful features ?
I'd say changing the "style" can be useful (for example, to stop an application being respawned by gnome-session), and removing an application from the session can be useful too. It doesn't kill the process, but sends it a "Die" session message (I believe). Order is probably useless. It might also be interesting to see which programs are session-aware. Because those programs are the ones which are likely to automatically save their state.
Created attachment 116086 [details] [review] a patch Here is a patch that adds a "Session" column, which displays up to two icons in the same style as the session capplet used to do. The first icon indicates the status of the session client, the second icon indicates the restart style. Currently there is no way to modify the restart style, since gnome-session doesn't export a dbus interface for doing so. The patch isn't quite perfect yet, it may be necessary to connect a signal handler to GsmSessionManager:client-{added,removed} and update the session information in the tree model from the handler.
The patch looks pretty for a start. Honestly, from user perspective, I don't see much value on being able to modidy restart style. It would be nice to hear from Benoît about it.
I'm a bit concerned about how fast it is to retrieve info from DBUS.
The way my patch does it is to only get the full list of clients once, and then listen for add/remove signals from the session manager. Refreshing the process list is done off the locally cached information.
I don't think session management belongs in a system monitor. The purpose of a system monitor is to display information about about the system, not to handle settings. The similarities between session management settings and the system monitor are cosmetic, not conceptual. Not in a million years would I think to look for session managements settings in the system monitor if I didn't know that they are there.
(In reply to comment #7) > I don't think session management belongs in a system monitor. The purpose of a > system monitor is to display information about about the system, not to handle > settings. The similarities between session management settings and the system > monitor are cosmetic, not conceptual. Except that the status of an application in the current session is not a setting.
It is when you _set_ whether the application is a persistent part of the session
Really, it's just changing the interaction with the session manager for the current session (and it won't survive on next login). So it's not really a setting. I see this as a similar feature as "kill this application".
*** Bug 102585 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
[Adding missing "QA Contact" entry so system monitor bug report changes can still be watched via the "Users to watch" list on https://bugzilla.gnome.org/userprefs.cgi?tab=email when the assignee is changed to an individual.]
Created attachment 235860 [details] [review] Updated process session info patch
Matthias, Vincent: is this still relevant? I have updated the patch to apply and work on the latest trunk, however I am getting some strange results, e.g. gedit and firefox appearing as registered gsm clients. Is there any other way to find the clients registered in gnome-session-manager and their restart styles? I have tried checking gnome-session-properties, but I only have there 3 items, and none of them appear registered in this patched system monitor.
I'm not totally sure we still want this. Nearly no app should play with the restart style anymore...
OK, based on the reporter's comment 15 I guess this will not be useful anymore, will not add real value, so I am marking this as Obsolete. Please let me know if you disagree and see some real use-case when process session property management in system monitor can be useful.
I agree with Vincent: not needed and not wanted
Would the opposite be better? Integrating the process list into the session manager, ie, in gnome-session-properties? Being able to take something which is currently running, and add it to the saved session...