ConsoleKit

ConsoleKit2 is a framework for defining and tracking users, login sessions, and seats. Its function is to support multiuser setups. It also works for a single user, but offers no benefits compared to existing methods.

Warning: Arch Linux only has official support for logind and systemd. When using ConsoleKit, please mention so in support requests.

Note: While Consolekit is no longer maintained upstream, the fork ConsoleKit2 is under development.

Installation

Install the consolekit^AUR and polkit-consolekit^AUR packages.

Configuration

ck-launch-session

To launch an X session with ConsoleKit, append the following to the exec statement in ~/.xinitrc e.g.:

exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session openbox-session

This starts Openbox with proper environment variables so it and its children are able to use ConsoleKit.

Display managers like GDM, LXDM and SLiM start ConsoleKit automatically with each X session.

Note:

Do not nest ConsoleKit sessions by calling one from another, or you will break ConsoleKit.
In particular, since SLiM reads ~/.xinitrc, you should make sure not to run ck-launch-session there.

No display manager

If you are not using a display manager, but starting your window manager via the startx command, or from inittab.

If ConsoleKit is not working ( command showing active = FALSE), you should start your window manager using the bash_profile method: Xinit#Autostart X at login.

Xfce

For a login manager, from the AUR or LightDM could be used.

Mate

Install and .

If you use mdm-display-manager^AUR as a login manager and have trouble logging in, edit , comment out and restart mdm. Additionally append if you have consolekit^AUR installed.

Tips and tricks

Use D-Bus for power operations

Shut down:

Restart:

Suspend:

Hibernate (suspend to disk):

Hybrid Sleep (suspend + hibernate):

This method assumes that you are given permission to shut the system down via PolicyKit. The default group for this is wheel. To change this, edit as root.

Troubleshooting

Running several applications from ~/.xinitrc

If several applications are to be executed from ~/.xinitrc, not all of these will have ConsoleKit environment variables set. In the following example, only children of Compiz will be able to properly use ConsoleKit, but children of xterm will not.

Typically, this can be an issue when for example using Compiz standalone and some other application launchers, (gnome-do, kupfer, gmrun, xbindkeys, etc.) since children of the application launcher will not be able to use ConsoleKit. A dirty workaround is to have the entire session started by a second script, e.g. . Do not forget dbus-launch, it is likely that you will need it too:

~/.xstart

xterm &
thunar &
compiz ccp

Do not forget to make executable.

To see whether everything is started correctly:

$ ck-list-sessions

It should show at least one session like this one:

Session18:
       unix-user = '1000'
       realname = 'Your Name'
       seat = 'Seat1'
       session-type = 
       active = TRUE
       x11-display = ':0'
       x11-display-device = '/dev/tty2'
       display-device = '/dev/tty1'
       remote-host-name = 
       is-local = TRUE
       on-since = '2011-11-16T12:01:50.104764Z'
       login-session-id = '7'

Consolekit blocks active TTY

Configure init to start ConsoleKit on an unused TTY, for example:

/usr/bin/openvt -c 63 -f -- /usr/sbin/console-kit-daemon --no-daemon &

See for details.

Inactive session when launching X on same TTY

Specify the flag to startx or xinit , for example:

startx -- -keeptty

Replacing ConsoleKit with systemd-logind

Remove references to from ~/.xinitrc.

See Session to check the status of your user session.

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