2. Log On to the System

2. Log On to the System

After you have made changes to the Logon Manager (or stayed with the defaults), you are ready to log on to the system and begin an NLD session. A session is really just a way to describe the time between your logon and logoff .

2. Log On to the System

Enter Username

Type your username in the Logon Manager Username box and then press Enter .

Enter Password

Type your password in the Logon Manager Password box and then press Enter .

NLD Session Begins

You are logged on to the system, and your NLD session begins. You can now take advantage of the various productivity software and tools launched via the GNOME desktop.

3. About Logoff Options

After you have completed an NLD session, you will want to log off the system. What actually happens when you log off is controlled by the Logoff dialog box, accessed via the desktop System menu. The options provided are

• Logout— This option logs you off the system and returns you to the Logon Manager.

• Shutdown— This option shuts down the computer.

• Restart the Computer— This option restarts the computer and opens the Logon Manager.

Tip

The Logoff dialog box provides a Save Current Setup check box. Selecting this check box saves certain settings that you have changed for the GNOME desktop such as font settings, color settings, and other desktop appearance settings.

Options are provided in the Logoff dialog box.

The choice that you make in the Logoff dialog box depends on how you want to end your session. If you want to log off and allow another user to log on, use the Logout option. If you want to end your session and shut down the computer, select Shutdown.

4. Log Off the System from the Desktop

Logging off the system either returns you to the Logon Manager or shuts down the system. Either choice effectively ends your current NLD session.

4. Log Off the System from the Desktop

Open System Menu

On the GNOME desktop, select the System menu, located between the Program and Help menus at the top of the desktop.

Open Logoff Dialog Box

Select the Log Out (username) command on the System menu.

Log Off NLD

The Log Out option is selected by default. Click OK to log off the system and return to the Logon Manager.

Tip

If you are planning on shutting down the system, select Shut Down in the Logoff dialog box.

5. Shut Down the System from the Logon Manager

You have probably already realized that you can shut down the system as you log off by selecting the Shutdown option in the Logoff dialog box. You can also shut down the system from the Logon Manager.

5. Shut Down the System from the Logon Manager

Open Actions Menu

Select the Logon Manager's Actions menu. The Shut Down the Computer option is selected by default.

Shut Down Computer

Click OK , and the computer shuts down.

Tip

NLD shuts down one system level at a time, and each of these levels is noted on the text screen that appears as the system goes through the shutdown process. Wait until all the NLD processes have been terminated before shutting down older computers that do not automatically shut down. Otherwise, you can lose data or corrupt the system files.