Feature request for XGL : "for each face of the cube, a different Linux session"

[unk unk]

Hello.


At the moment, the XGL user can move the cube and notice that each face represents one of the four virtual desktops. Instead of switching from a virtual desktop to another by rotating the cube, it would be cool to be able to switch from a Linux session to another.

Each face would be a different Linux session (User or Root). This would greatly increase the ease of use of a Linux system, making easy the quick switch from a User session to a Root one.

Imagine someone using his/her computer at home (a simple Linux user). He/she usually only uses his/her User account for his/her "daily normal use" and sometimes the Root one in order to install softwares. There could be one face of the XGL cube reserved for a Root session and others for User sessions. This way, administrate the system would become very easy. To install software or administrate the system, no need anymore to become root in a console, the user would just have to rotate the cube... Simple isn't it ?



There would be a total of three possibilities (keeping in mind that a cube has 6 faces..) :

CASE #1 :
Keep the actual XGL behaviour : 4 faces, one for each virtual desktop (of a simple User session). The XGL user rotates the cube horizontally to switch between them (desktop1 --> desktop2 --> desktop3 --> desktop4). The top and bottom faces are reserved (as seen in the XGL video demos) for the XGL logo. No change at all. 

CASE #2 :
Each face of the cube would display a different Linux session... Let's say a face must be reserved for the XGL logo, ok. 
So there are still 5 faces available : XGL could have one face for the simple User "Patrick" (for example), another face for the simple User "Dad", one for the user "Johnny", etc...  and finally one face (the fifth one) for a Root session. And of course, getting rid of the XGL logo on the other face (the sixth one), that makes (of course) a total of 6 faces so 6 possible different Linux sessions.

CASE #3 :
A mix of the 2 above cases : 4 faces, one for each virtual desktop of the User session "Patrick". But one of the two unused faces left (the top or the bottom ones) could be reserved for a Root session. The user would use XGL just like he/she would at the moment (rotating the cube horizontally to switch between virtual desktops) except for choosing the Root session. 

To do that, he/she would have to move the cube vertically so that or the top or the bottom face would be visible (depending on where he/she would have choosed to put the Root session). So the User session "Patrick" would still have its four virtual desktops easily available, as well as the Root session.

By the way, if the XGL user wants to have 4 Linux User sessions and 2 Root sessions, that would be possible too (even 6 Root sessions.. but I don't see the point to do that).

What if Patrick wants to logout ? 
In this case, all the four virtual desktops (the 4 faces) would display the "logout message window". Then or GDM or KDM would be displayed again in order to choose a new User (or Root session, even if already one is opened).



Note about virtual desktops (especially for the CASE #2) :
At the moment XGL makes their switch very easy because each face is a virtual desktop.
But for the CASE #2, since each face would be a different Linux session, the switch between virtual desktops with XGL wouldn't be possible. 

I already hear some of you asking "Yes but each session would be restricted to one virtual desktop ?" Yes and no. In fact, virtual desktops would still be there inside KDE or Gnome, but of course XGL would not be able to switch between them since each face now would display a different Linux session.



What do you guys think of these ideas ?
I think this would greatly increase the ease of use of Linux and the system management for the "simple  Linux user". By the way, it's just an idea...



Sebastien Kerguen

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