"switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

[scrooge]

Hi All

Problem: I've set up two users: A and B. who can log in and out with out passwords.

At start up "A" logs in automatically.

"switch user" is then used to open a parallel session for user "B"

After a while "A" uses "switch user" to return to his session but screen either opens A's screen saver (which then will not close) or screen goes black with the dreaded white pointer that will do nothing. System must then be restarted.

My graphics hardware is an internal ATI radeon HD 4250. I am not using a proprietary driver.

I would appreciate any help, so that users can switch without crashing the system. I can follow instructions and I like the konsole but I only imitate what others tell to do!

PS can any tell me the short cut keys to switch between users. (I can't believe it's not documented anywhere, buy I can't find it.)

Cheers

PPS I've just upgraded to 11.04 64bit, and found out to my amazement that Dolphin recognizes all my wife's files on her Windows partition etc! This is incredible, access with out having to change operating systems.!!!!!!! What a joy.

[Rog132]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

After a while "A" uses "switch user" to return to his session but screen either opens A's screen saver...

Have you tried to disable the screen shaver ?

PS can any tell me the short cut keys to switch between users. (I can't believe it's not documented anywhere, buy I can't find it.)

[img width=400 height=280]http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/9931/shortcut.png[/img]

From the repositories:

:~$ apt-cache show plasma-widget-fastuserswitch

Description: Fast user switch plasmoid for switching between sessions in KDE
A simple plasma-widget that allows users to swich to another
open session or to open a new login page.
Homepage: http://kde-look.org/content/show.php?content=127462
Bugs: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+filebug

[scrooge]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

thanks for the quick reply, I disabled the screensaver but to no solution. I did however get a message to say that the session was locked and I needed to login again. The screen saver still comes on even though it's disabled!! Seems when I switch out of "A" the session is locked for some reason.

Also I downloaded the fast user switch plasmoid, but not quite sure how to install it. The build seems to stop when it gets to "kbuildsycoca4 --noincremental"

thanks for the help, its given me some options to expore.

[oshunluvr]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

You should be able to de-select screen locking in System Setting > Power Management.

[Rog132]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

Locking & Screen saver

I've set up two users: A and B. who can log in and out with out passwords...

Is there any difference if you enable the password query ?

I disabled the screensaver but to no solution. I did however get a message to say that the session was locked and I needed to login again. The screen saver still comes on even though it's disabled!!

Here: When switching the user there is a black screen until i move the mouse. Then there is a password query as the session/desktop is locked.

What kind of screensaver do you have ?
Simple black screen ? Or something else ?
If it is a black screen - try to disable the energy star features:

man xset

NAME
xset - user preference utility for X

SYNOPSIS
xset [+dpms] [-dpms]
[dpms standby [ suspend [ off]]] [dpms force {standby|suspend|off|on}]

-dpms The -dpms option disables DPMS (Energy Star) features.

+dpms The +dpms option enables DPMS (Energy Star) features.

=>

xset -dpms

xset q

...
DPMS is Disabled

[Rog132]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

Fast user switch plasmoid

Also I downloaded the fast user switch plasmoid, but not quite sure how to install it.

Hmm - ?

The plasmoid is in the official Ubuntu repositories. You could point and click it to install.

If you prefer the command line:

sudo apt-get install plasma-widget-fastuserswitch

After installlation click the "Add Widgets".

...he build seems to stop when it gets to "kbuildsycoca4 --noincremental"

If you want to install it from the source them maybe a new thread would be a nice idea.

The "kbuildsycoca4" is (man kbuildsycoca4):

NAME
kbuildsycoca4 - Rebuilds the system configuration cache.

--noincremental
Disable incremental update, re-read everything

You get same effect when you reboot your system...

[Rog132]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

Shortcuts

PS can any tell me the short cut keys to switch between users. (I can't believe it's not documented anywhere, buy I can't find it.)

The K-Menu "Leave" options are not ordinary applications /1/, /2/. They are dbus calls. To enable the keyboard shortcuts you need to add them to the K-Menu as applications.

The Krunner (Alt+F2) has an user switch runner. Command: switch

1) Looking the qdbus call with the qdbusviewer

[img width=400 height=296]http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6786/shortcut1.png[/img]

The call is:

qdbus org.kde.krunner /MainApplication org.kde.krunner.App.switchUser

2) Adding it to the K-Menu

[img width=400 height=151]http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/75/shortcut2.png[/img]

3) and adding the keyboard shortcut

[img width=400 height=163]http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8779/rog132.png[/img]



I think that the additional plasmoid is a bit easier...


/1/ http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3109557.0
/2/ http://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=52608

[scrooge]

Re: "switch user" problems (the death screen of black)

Thanks Rog, got the plasmoid from the repositories, (didn't even thing of looking there :P) Works really well.

Unlocking the screen in power management unfortunately did not help.

Uninstalled screen savers via synaptic. (sorry Rog didn't do it properly first time).

When I switch back and forth between users now, the screen goes black for a moment then a login password box appears to get me back in to the session I want. After looking at the KDE forum I believe this is how it is meant to be. The locking of the screen is a security feature. I conclude from this that the screensaver is not causing the locking.

Rog132 I loved the idea for the shortcuts but it was, as you guessed, beyond me.

I'm still hoping that Micron (who wrote the plasmoid) will put an unlock screen option in a future release. He said he was thinking about it. Also I can't see why KDE don't have it as an option.

Thanks everyone for getting my system sorted, anymore solutions appreciated.