How to have the desktop restored to its previous session ?

[stephaneeybert]

I just installed Linux Mint 11 Katya and it's beautiful

The one thing that still evades me is how to have the desktop state being restored to its previous session ?

I would like to have the applications left opened on shutdown being automatically reopened at the next boot.

It would be nice to have the terminal showing its pretty face with all its opened tabs.. Same for the Firefox browser.. and Eclipse..

Any clue ?

Cheers,

Stephane

PS: I have a Thinkpad T43

[Bob E]

I'm not sure how 11 is set up, on 10 you would go Menu>System>Preferences> Startup Applications. Open Startup Applications and you can add programs to start automatically when you start your computer. The other tab called Options has a tic box to automatically remember running applications when logging out. (Don't know how well that one works...I've never used it.)

Hope this helps.

[linuxviolin]

Just use hibernation.

[conslie]

In CompizConfig Settings Manager there is a Session Management plugin. You might need the Compiz Extras package first. It is still in Beta, so ....

Ubuntu Tweak seems to offer something similar. I haven't tested either.

Have fun!

[stephaneeybert]

@Bob, yes, ML 9 had such a feature as well, but there is no such Options tab any longer in LM 11.

I have an old T43 and using Compiz just for such a simple feature seems like overkill to me.

I would really like to have it even on shutdown / reboot.

[pluraldave]

What about if you:

1. Press <Alt>+<F2>
2. Enter "gconf-editor"
3. Navigate to apps>gnome-session>options

Is the auto-save option still there?

[stephaneeybert]

Hi Dave,

Yes the auto save option is still there, but the checkbox was already ticked.

I didn't feel like unticking it.

Stephane

[stephaneeybert]

So there is no way to save and restaure this gnome session ?

Hibernating is not a work around for me as I shutdwon the computer and want to shut it down.

[mpiter]

So there is no way to save and restaure this gnome session ?

I have just migrated from Ubuntu 11.04 to Linux Mint 11. As a consequence, I do not dare to claim that it is not possible with Linux Mint, but the feature has deliberately been discarded from Ubuntu 11.04. Because Linux Mint 11 is based on Ubuntu 11.04, it is likely that Mint does not offer that option anymore either.

There is a bug report on that topic in the Ubuntu Launchpad bug report site, but I do not remember which one. You should be able to easily find it. There was a fierce debate about that topic in the bug report. The main argument of the development team was that too many programs do not properly restore their data after being stopped. Hence, the development team decided that it was better to suppress the feature instead of leaving something that works half of the time. Many users were angry about it and preferred something not perfect to nothing. The development team did not change its mind.

[stephaneeybert]

Thanks for the explanation. I was quite happy with it. It restaured fine my shells and firefox..

[mpiter]

Thanks for the explanation. I was quite happy with it. It restaured fine my shells and firefox..

Yes, I understand. I did not use it. I prefer to always start a session with the same programs opened irrespective to the desktop state when I had shut down the computer. But many people had good arguments to keep the option alive.

[blackpaw]

Wow, just started trying out gnome via mint - dropping session support is close to being a deal breaker for me. I heard the Gnome devs were getting pretty arrogant and patronising, I see what people mean.

[stephaneeybert]

@mpiter

How do you start the shell in a predefined state at boot time ?

I'd like to have my shell open by itself, with 10 tabs, and each tab to a given directory.

If that is possible..

Thanks.

[mpiter]

@mpiter

How do you start the shell in a predefined state at boot time ?

I'd like to have my shell open by itself, with 10 tabs, and each tab to a given directory.

Just create that command in your Startup Application list:

Code: Select all

gnome-terminal --tab-with-profile=stephaneeybert --working-directory=dir1 --tab-with-profile=stephaneeybert --working-directory=dir2...--tab-with-profile=stephaneeybert --working-directory=dir10

[stephaneeybert]

Works beautifully ! Thanks buddy.

[stephaneeybert]

For the record, here is my example for the Gnome terminal

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=Terminal
Comment=Use the command line
Exec=gnome-terminal --maximize --tab --tab --tab --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine --tab --working-directory=dev/php/learnintouch/engine
Icon=utilities-terminal
Hidden=false
NoDisplay=false
Terminal=false