[Pkg-utopia-maintainers] Bug#520720: Bug#520720: gnome-power-manager: Stopped working after consolekit upgrade)

[Michael Biebl]

Yves-Alexis Perez wrote:
> On mer, 2009-04-29 at 08:14 +0200, Michael Biebl wrote:
>>> I aggree. I mean, libpam-ck-connector should _only_ sets the variable if
>>> it's indeed an XDG_SESSION. I mean, only if the user logged in through a
>>> CK-enabled DM. (I didn't yet test with slim and libpam-ck-connector
>>> activated but I guess it won't work either). Those are the problematic
>>> ones. I don't know if libpam-ck-connector can detect that they already
>>> have a CK session, but that would make a lot more sense.
>> Sorry, I do not quite understand what you mean by that. Maybe you can
>> elobarate.
> 
> Ok, see below.
>> First, let me try to explain a few things:
>>
>> 1.) libpam_ck_connector is setup in common-session with the nox11
>> option. That means, a login via a login manager (e.g. gdm) will not
>> create a CK session.
> 
> Ha, that's fine, so slim will work.
> 
>> So basically, what libpam_ck_connector is good for, is for logins on the
>> console. After a login on the console, XDG_SESSION_COOKIE will be set.
> 
> I don't really know why?


> 
>> 3.) /etc/X11/Xsession.d/90consolekit creates a CK session, if
>> XDG_SESSION_COOKIE is not yet set. The check is there, to avoid creating
>> to CK session cookies: one by the (g|k)dm login manager, and the other
>> one from 90consolekit (libpam_ck_connector is not involved in graphical
>> login, unless you explictely change the pam configuration)
>>
>> This is for users of a login manager, that does not directly talk to CK,
>> but uses the standard Xsession integration (I think slim would be such
>> an example).
>>
>> If you are using plain startx from the console and XDG_SESSION_COOKIE is
>> not yet set, it should work, too.
> 
> The I just fail to see why libpam-ck-connector from oustide of X creates
> the XDG_SESSION_COOKIE. What is it used for?

Trying to answer both of your questions:
It's indeed questionable, what a CK session on the console is good for.
But keep in mind, that there are command line tools out there, that e.g. use HAL
or NetworkManager (powersave or a ITPed cnetworkmanager).
This is far less common though, as the need for a CK session in X.

So a first step to "avoid" this kind of problem, is indeed, to make the
libpam_ck_connector Recommends a Suggests. It's obviously not a real fix.

The only other reason I can think of, why libpam_ck_connector might be useful,
is if you setup a custom pam configuration without nox11 for a login manager
that does neither support Xsession.d nor talk to CK directly.


>> 2.) login on the console (covered by libpam_ck_connector)
> 
> Yes (but afaict we don't need XDG_SESSION_COOKIE)

See below

> Basically, I think I'd be fine with libpam-ck-connector not using
> XDG_SESSION_COOKIE when it's in console mode (nox11) because it doesn't
> really make sense.

I think we can't get rid of the XDG_SESSION_COOKIE variable, as this is
necessary to correctly track/assign a session to a user. (I'll verify that though)

That's why I proposed the idea of an additional/separate env var, that will only
be set for console logins, so we can easily differentiate X11 from console
logins in Xsession.d/90consolekit.

Cheers,
Michael

-- 
Why is it that all of the instruments seeking intelligent life in the
universe are pointed away from Earth?

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