Chapter 8. Setting a default desktop session for all users

You can configure a default desktop session that is preselected for all users that have not logged in yet.

If a user logs in using a different session than the default, their selection persists to their next login.

Procedure

  1. Copy the configuration file template: 

    # cp /usr/share/accountsservice/user-templates/standard \
     /etc/accountsservice/user-templates/standard
  2. Edit the new /etc/accountsservice/user-templates/standard file. On the Session=gnome line, replace gnome with the session that you want to set as the default.

  3. Optional: To configure an exception to the default session for a certain user, follow these steps:

    1. Copy the template file to /var/lib/AccountsService/users/user-name: 

      # cp /usr/share/accountsservice/user-templates/standard \
     /var/lib/AccountsService/users/user-name
    2. In the new file, replace variables such as ${USER} and ${ID} with the user values.
    3. Edit the Session value.