Not losing the running apps when switching users?

[xenon]

Maybe the question will sound silly, but... when I'm logged in KDE, switch user and then log back with the first, I would expect (and like) the apps that were active from the first session to be still there and working. Instead, I have the feeling (correct me if I'm wrong) that they were closed when I logged out and restarted when I logged back in. Is it just a matter of X restarting, while the processes are still there and running? And if so, is it possible to get them back? Or this kind of "background" activity limited to non-X applications? Am I missing something in the settings (I don't think this is the problem, but...)? I couldn't believe that such a behaviour is just impossible to obtain... come on, Windows does it!

[TripKnot]

I believe you are right, the apps are shut down and restarted when you log back in.

There is an option to make X start multiple sessions, ie on F7, F8 and so on. So basically you can have multiple people logged in using separate window managers and apps. Switching between users/screens leaves the apps running.

I'm sorry to say though that I don't remember how to go about this. I htink someone else tried this once before to get that winXP user switching like feature to work in X. A search might turn up something.

[David_Escott]

One program which did this was xnest however gdm now has this capability in the gdmflexiserver which provides New login and New login in a nested window menu options in the default gnome menus. perhaps if you switch from kdm you could use this it works very well.