What is the difference between DESKTOP_SESSION, XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP, and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP?
I want to detect which desktop manager I am running, and I found out that there are three environment variables, DESKTOP_SESSION , XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP , and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP which could help me do so. But what exactly is the difference between these three variables? Thanks in advance.
linux desktop environment-variables gui specifications
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
add a comment |
I want to detect which desktop manager I am running, and I found out that there are three environment variables, DESKTOP_SESSION , XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP , and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP which could help me do so. But what exactly is the difference between these three variables? Thanks in advance.
linux desktop environment-variables gui specifications
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
add a comment |
I want to detect which desktop manager I am running, and I found out that there are three environment variables, DESKTOP_SESSION , XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP , and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP which could help me do so. But what exactly is the difference between these three variables? Thanks in advance.
linux desktop environment-variables gui specifications
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
I want to detect which desktop manager I am running, and I found out that there are three environment variables, DESKTOP_SESSION , XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP , and XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP which could help me do so. But what exactly is the difference between these three variables? Thanks in advance.
linux desktop environment-variables gui specifications
linux desktop environment-variables gui specifications
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
asked May 7 '16 at 1:04
Sora MinazukiSora Minazuki
7915
7915
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
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I'm not sure what the official reasons are for having many different variables, most likely different window & display managers all do their own particular configurations.
But all of them look the same, so using any one should work...
Here's what Mint's XFCE has:
$ echo $DESKTOP_SESSION
xfce
$ echo $XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
xfce
$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
XFCE
and also
$ echo $SESSION
xfce
$ echo $MDMSESSION
xfce
$ echo $GDMSESSION
xfce
Or (from env):
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
UPSTART_JOB=startxfce4
Your best bet (if you've got wmctrl) may be this combined with grep/cut:
$ wmctrl -m
Name: Xfwm4
Class: xfwm4
PID: 5449
Window manager's "showing the desktop" mode: N/A
You can also be using a different Window Manager and Display Manager, and some different distributions store data in different places, so confusion reigns supreme. See these very related Q's:
- How to determine which window manager is running
- How can I find which desktop enviroment I am using? [duplicate of above]
- Is there a simple linux command that will tell me what my display manager is?
- How to detect the desktop environment in a bash script?
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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oldest
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oldest
votes
I'm not sure what the official reasons are for having many different variables, most likely different window & display managers all do their own particular configurations.
But all of them look the same, so using any one should work...
Here's what Mint's XFCE has:
$ echo $DESKTOP_SESSION
xfce
$ echo $XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
xfce
$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
XFCE
and also
$ echo $SESSION
xfce
$ echo $MDMSESSION
xfce
$ echo $GDMSESSION
xfce
Or (from env):
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
UPSTART_JOB=startxfce4
Your best bet (if you've got wmctrl) may be this combined with grep/cut:
$ wmctrl -m
Name: Xfwm4
Class: xfwm4
PID: 5449
Window manager's "showing the desktop" mode: N/A
You can also be using a different Window Manager and Display Manager, and some different distributions store data in different places, so confusion reigns supreme. See these very related Q's:
- How to determine which window manager is running
- How can I find which desktop enviroment I am using? [duplicate of above]
- Is there a simple linux command that will tell me what my display manager is?
- How to detect the desktop environment in a bash script?
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
add a comment |
I'm not sure what the official reasons are for having many different variables, most likely different window & display managers all do their own particular configurations.
But all of them look the same, so using any one should work...
Here's what Mint's XFCE has:
$ echo $DESKTOP_SESSION
xfce
$ echo $XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
xfce
$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
XFCE
and also
$ echo $SESSION
xfce
$ echo $MDMSESSION
xfce
$ echo $GDMSESSION
xfce
Or (from env):
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
UPSTART_JOB=startxfce4
Your best bet (if you've got wmctrl) may be this combined with grep/cut:
$ wmctrl -m
Name: Xfwm4
Class: xfwm4
PID: 5449
Window manager's "showing the desktop" mode: N/A
You can also be using a different Window Manager and Display Manager, and some different distributions store data in different places, so confusion reigns supreme. See these very related Q's:
- How to determine which window manager is running
- How can I find which desktop enviroment I am using? [duplicate of above]
- Is there a simple linux command that will tell me what my display manager is?
- How to detect the desktop environment in a bash script?
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
add a comment |
I'm not sure what the official reasons are for having many different variables, most likely different window & display managers all do their own particular configurations.
But all of them look the same, so using any one should work...
Here's what Mint's XFCE has:
$ echo $DESKTOP_SESSION
xfce
$ echo $XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
xfce
$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
XFCE
and also
$ echo $SESSION
xfce
$ echo $MDMSESSION
xfce
$ echo $GDMSESSION
xfce
Or (from env):
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
UPSTART_JOB=startxfce4
Your best bet (if you've got wmctrl) may be this combined with grep/cut:
$ wmctrl -m
Name: Xfwm4
Class: xfwm4
PID: 5449
Window manager's "showing the desktop" mode: N/A
You can also be using a different Window Manager and Display Manager, and some different distributions store data in different places, so confusion reigns supreme. See these very related Q's:
- How to determine which window manager is running
- How can I find which desktop enviroment I am using? [duplicate of above]
- Is there a simple linux command that will tell me what my display manager is?
- How to detect the desktop environment in a bash script?
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
I'm not sure what the official reasons are for having many different variables, most likely different window & display managers all do their own particular configurations.
But all of them look the same, so using any one should work...
Here's what Mint's XFCE has:
$ echo $DESKTOP_SESSION
xfce
$ echo $XDG_SESSION_DESKTOP
xfce
$ echo $XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP
XFCE
and also
$ echo $SESSION
xfce
$ echo $MDMSESSION
xfce
$ echo $GDMSESSION
xfce
Or (from env):
XDG_MENU_PREFIX=xfce-
UPSTART_JOB=startxfce4
Your best bet (if you've got wmctrl) may be this combined with grep/cut:
$ wmctrl -m
Name: Xfwm4
Class: xfwm4
PID: 5449
Window manager's "showing the desktop" mode: N/A
You can also be using a different Window Manager and Display Manager, and some different distributions store data in different places, so confusion reigns supreme. See these very related Q's:
- How to determine which window manager is running
- How can I find which desktop enviroment I am using? [duplicate of above]
- Is there a simple linux command that will tell me what my display manager is?
- How to detect the desktop environment in a bash script?
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
edited Apr 13 '17 at 12:37
Community♦
1
1
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
answered May 7 '16 at 4:13
Xen2050Xen2050
11.3k31637
11.3k31637
add a comment |
add a comment |
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