Ubuntu SOS

I am going to post short "quick tips" every Saturday to go over small but important tricks and tips for Ubuntu, so come back every Weekend!

Today I am going to go over the ability to run multiple X sessions. Just as you can have multiple terminals (tty1, tty2....,tty6), You can have multiple instances of X (ctrl-a;t-F7, ctrl-alt-F8, Ctrl-Alt-F9). I know a few full screen games that wont allow you to get to the desktop without closing it.

Instructions

1. Make sure you have another user account created to switch over to.
2. Ensure that the User Switcher Gnome-Panel applet is added to the panel. If it isn't, right click on the panel and add it.
3.Click on the User Switcher icon, and choose another user account.

4.You will soon see your login screen, login with the other user account.
5.Once you are at the desktop you will be able to get back to your other desktop by pressing ALT-CTRL-F7 all at once, your screen will flash and you will be back to the original users desktop. On my system I pressed ALT-CTRL-F9 to get back to the newly created X session. It will be one of the ALT-CTRL-Function Key combinations.

This is very handy when you are in a full screen application or game and you want to check something online but don't want to close what you are doing. Interested in alternate desktops? Start a second X session, say Fluxbox, Openbox, IceWM, or XFCE. It really doesn't slow your system down too much having another X session running.

Have a nice weekend