Cron/Xwindows

[Daniel Matthis]

Jonathan Hutchins wrote:

> On Wednesday 22 October 2003 09:56 am, Brian Densmore wrote:
> 
> 
>>>Realistically, how many Linux systems actually run multiple
>>>display sessions?
>>>I know the capacitiy is there, and I know that it's used in some
>>>environments, but the majority of Linux installations are
>>>single user, single
>>>display systems.
> 
> 
>>True, but Linux is a Unix derivative and thus is by design a mulituser
>>system with many possible XWindows clients running siumultaneously.
> 
> 
> It makes sense for it to evolve though, and for it to adapt to the actual 
> environment in which the majority of installations run, instead of a main 
> feature being biased toward what has become an extremely obscure application.
> 

Thats sounds more like devolve into the old Windows/Mac single user 
model. Just in case you haven't noticed even Windows is realizing a true 
multi user environment is better than a single user one (See Windows XP).

> 
>>Thus it would be inappropriate to *ass-u-me* only one xclient is running.
> 
> 
> I don't agree.  This is the correct assumption in the great majority of 
> situations, and it can always be tested before anything proceeds.  It would 
> be trivial to set a flag to indicate a multi-session environment.
> 

Sorry I don't think so. First a lot of Linux systems don't even use the 
desktop. Some use desktops but still pull applications from other 
servers. Yet others do allow for the use of a desktop by using 
Thin-clients.  It's also pretty trivial to export your display setting 
so the application knows where to go, even if it is local.

> 
>>Can you imagine the trouble that could happen if user joe was allowed to
>>open random programs on user jane's xclient?
> 

Actaully I know this one, It's fun to run a script that changes a users 
CDE (AIX UNIX) desktop background to various colors or spam them with 50 
XClocks on their desktop. But that is only on days that we techs get 
really board :D

> 
> Why should this be an issue?  We have plenty of ways to check file and device 
> permissions.
> 

Its an issue because it's really annoying when you screen fills with 
someone else windows if you don't have the system set up to reject other 
systems windows. It;s kind of like having Windows Messenger Service 
active and someone spams the connections on the network with Viagra text 
adds. X Windows would also be checking network connections. If I new 
your IP address and your system was open I could display my Mozilla 
window on your screen (Also fun to change someones web page through the 
remote call.) One moment www.washburn.edu, next www.playboy.com.

- Daniel