Unified login idea

1 id="unified-login-idea">Unified login idea

Lock Screen Proxy

A thin layer that is launched from the login manager before the desktop. It does basic lock/unlock functionality and masks the desktop’s.
As it runs as the parent of every desktop, it can manage lock events and know what is running as whom.
If the user locks their machine, all desktops can be told to lock. So no lock-> ctrl+alt+fN to bypass the lock.
If the user unlocks their desktop, and then switches with ctrl+alt+fN, it can send the unlock event so they don’t have to type their password again (it has the latest lock/unlock message and can unlock if the last was an unlock and the latest message was an unlock)
This can be used for RDP, Xen, and other things you might log in to.
It will be session manager agnostic.

When VTs start up, the lock screen service is ready to lock or unlock the text mode virtual terminals too.

Set up KVM with GPU passthrough for dedicated Windows VM.
- When launching it, check apps GPU unbinding and re-binding efficiently.
- If the GPU isn’t available, use a fallback.
Make a viewer that starts with VNC, and extends/works with the lock manager from above.
When there’s a VM with GPU, switch VNC for Looking Glass so we can play games in Windows.
Automate session management on both sides so locking/unlocking Windows cascades to Linux sessions too.

2 id="notes-from-claude">Notes from claude

3 id="primary-desktop-environments-and-their-lock-signals">Primary Desktop Environments and Their Lock Signals

GNOME: Uses org.freedesktop.login1.Session.Lock() + org.gnome.ScreenSaver.Lock()
KDE Plasma: Uses org.freedesktop.login1.Session.Lock() + org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.Lock()
XFCE: Uses org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.Lock() through xfce4-screensaver
Cinnamon: Uses org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.Lock() + cinnamon-screensaver specific signals
MATE: Uses org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.Lock() through mate-screensaver
LXQt: Uses org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.Lock() through lxqt-screensaver
Budgie: Uses GNOME’s signals (org.gnome.ScreenSaver.Lock())
Enlightenment (E): Custom signals through enlightenment_remote
LXDE: Uses org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver.Lock() through light-locker or xscreensaver
Deepin DE: Uses own com.deepin.SessionManager.Lock() + freedesktop signals
Pantheon (Elementary): Uses GNOME’s signaling system
Unity: Uses GNOME’s signaling system (largely historical now)

i3/Sway: Typically use external lockers (i3lock/swaylock) without direct signals
AwesomeWM: No built-in signals, relies on external lockers
bspwm: No built-in signals, relies on external lockers
DWM: No built-in signals, relies on external lockers