X Session Management LibraryX Consortium StandardX Version 11, Release 6.4RalphMorX Consortium Standard19931994X ConsortiumVersion 1.0X ConsortiumX Version 11, Release 7
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Overview of Session Management
The purpose of the X Session Management Protocol (XSMP)
is to provide a uniform mechanism for users to save and restore their
sessions. A session is a group of clients,
each of which has a particular state. The session is controlled by a
network service called the session manager.
The session manager issues commands to its clients on behalf of the
user. These commands may cause clients to save their state or to
terminate. It is expected that the client will save its state in such
a way that the client can be restarted at a later time and resume its
operation as if it had never been terminated. A client's state might
include information about the file currently being edited, the current
position of the insertion point within the file, or the start of an
uncommitted transaction. The means by which clients are restarted is
unspecified by this protocol.
For purposes of this protocol, a client of the
session manager is defined as a connection to the session manager. A
client is typically, though not necessarily, a process running an
application program connected to an X display. However, a client may
be connected to more than one X display or not be connected to any X
displays at all.
The Session Management Library
The Session Management Library (SMlib) is a low-level
"C" language interface to XSMP. It is expected that higher level
toolkits, such as Xt, will hide many of the details of session
management from clients. Higher level toolkits might also be developed
for session managers to use, but no such effort is currently under way.
SMlib has two parts to it:
One set of functions for clients that want to be part of a sessionOne set of functions for session managers to call
Some applications will use both sets of functions and act as
nested session managers. That is, they will be
both a session manager and a client of another session. An example is
a mail program that could start a text editor for editing the text of
a mail message. The mail program is part of a regular session and, at
the same time, is also acting as a session manager to the editor.
Clients initialize by connecting to the session manager and obtaining
a client-ID that uniquely identifies them in
the session. The session manager maintains a list of properties for
each client in the session. These properties describe the client's
environment and, most importantly, describe how the client can be
restarted (via an SmRestartCommand). Clients are
expected to save their state in such a way as to allow multiple
instantiations of themselves to be managed independently. For
example, clients may use their client-ID as part of a filename in
which to store the state for a particular instantiation. The
client-ID should be saved as part of the SmRestartCommand
so that the client will retain the same ID after it is restarted.
Once the client initializes itself with the session manager, it must
be ready to respond to messages from the session manager. For
example, it might be asked to save its state or to terminate. In the
case of a shutdown, the session manager might give each client a
chance to interact with the user and cancel the shutdown.
Understanding SMlib's Dependence on ICE
The X Session Management Protocol is layered on top of the
Inter-Client Exchange (ICE) Protocol. The ICE
protocol is designed to multiplex several protocols over a single
connection. As a result, working with SMlib requires a little
knowledge of how the ICE library works.
The ICE library utilizes callbacks to process messages. When a client
detects that there is data to read on an ICE connection, it should
call the IceProcessMessages function.
IceProcessMessages will read the message header
and look at the major opcode in order to determine which protocol the
message was intended for. The appropriate protocol library will then
be triggered to unpack the message and hand it off to the client via a
callback.
The main point to be aware of is that an application using SMlib must
have some code that detects when there is data to read on an ICE
connection. This can be done via a select call
on the file descriptor for the ICE connection, but more
typically, XtAppAddInput will be used to register
a callback that will invoke IceProcessMessages
each time there is data to read on the ICE connection.
To further complicate things, knowing which file descriptors to
call select on requires an understanding of how
ICE connections are created. On the client side, a call must be made
to SmcOpenConnection in order to open a connection
with a session manager. SmcOpenConnection will
internally makea call into IceOpenConnection
which will, in turn, determine if an ICE connection already exists
between the client and session manager. Most likely, a connection
will not already exist and a new ICE connection will be created. The
main point to be aware of is that, on the client side, it is not
obvious when ICE connections get created or destroyed, because
connections are shared when possible. To deal with this, the ICE
library lets the application register watch procedures that will be
invoked each time an ICE connection is opened or closed. These watch
procedures could be used to add or remove ICE file descriptors from
the list of descriptors to call select on.
On the session manager side, things work a bit differently. The
session manager has complete control over the creation of ICE
connections. The session manager has to first
call IceListenForConnections in order to start
listening for connections from clients. Once a connection attempt is
detected, IceAcceptConnection must be called, and
the session manager can simply add the new ICE file descriptor to the
list of descriptors to call select on.
For further information on the library functions related to ICE connections,
see the Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Header Files and Library Name
Applications (both session managers and clients) should include the
header file <X11/SM/SMlib.h>.
This header file defines all of the SMlib data structures and function
prototypes. SMlib.h includes the
header file <X11/SM/SM.h>,
which defines all of the SMlib constants.
Because SMlib is dependent on ICE, applications should link against
SMlib and ICElib by using
.
Session Management Client (Smc) Functions
This section discusses how Session Management clients:
Connect to the Session ManagerClose the connectionModify callbacksSet, delete, and retrieve Session Manager propertiesInteract with the userRequest a “Save Yourself”Request a “Save Yourself Phase 2”Complete a “Save Yourself”Use Smc informational functionsHandle ErrorsConnecting to the Session Manager
To open a connection with a session manager,
use SmcOpenConnectionSmcConn SmcOpenConnectionchar *network_ids_listSmPointer contextint xsmp_major_revint xsmp_minor_revunsigned long maskSmcCallbacks *callbackschar *previous_idchar **client_id_retint error_lengthchar *error_string_retnetwork_ids_listSpecifies the network ID(s) of the session manager.context
A pointer to an opaque object or NULL. Used to determine
if an ICE connection can be shared
(see below).
xsmp_major_rev
The highest major version of the XSMP the application supports.
xsmp_minor_rev
The highest minor version of the XSMP the application supports (for
the specified xsmp_major_rev).
maskA mask indicating which callbacks to register.callbacks
The callbacks to register. These callbacks are used to respond to
messages from the session manager.
previous_idThe client ID from the previous session.client_id_retThe client ID for the current session is returned.error_lengthLength of the error_string_ret argument passed in.error_string_ret
Returns a null-terminated error message, if any.
The error_string_ret argument points to user supplied
memory. No more than error_length bytes are used.
The network_ids_list argument is a
null-terminated string containing a list of network IDs for the session
manager, separated by commas. If network_ids_list
is NULL, the value of
the SESSION_MANAGER environment variable will be used.
Each network ID has the following format:
tcp/<hostname>:<portnumber>ordecnet/<hostname>::<objname>orlocal/<hostname>:<path>
An attempt will be made to use the first network ID. If that fails,
an attempt will be made using the second network ID, and so on.
After the connection is established, SmcOpenConnection
registers the client with the session manager. If the client is being
restarted from a previous session, previous_id
should contain a null terminated string representing the client ID from the
previous session. If the client is first joining the session,
previous_id should be set to NULL.
If previous_id is specified but is determined
to be invalid by the session manager, SMlib will re-register the
client with previous_id set to NULL.
If SmcOpenConnection succeeds, it returns an
opaque connection pointer of type SmcConn and the
client_id_ret argument contains the client ID to be
used for this session. The client_id_ret should be
freed with a call to free when no longer needed. On
failure, SmcOpenConnection returns
NULL, and the reason for failure is returned in
error_string_ret.
Note that SMlib uses the ICE protocol to establish a connection with
the session manager. If an ICE connection already exists between the
client and session manager, it might be possible for the same ICE
connection to be used for session management.
The context argument indicates how willing the client is to share the
ICE connection with other protocols. If context is NULL,
then the caller is always willing to share the connection. If context is not
NULL, then the caller is not willing to use a previously
opened ICE connection that has a different non-NULL
context associated with it.
As previously discussed
(section 3,
“Understanding SMlib's Dependence on ICE”), the
client will have to keep track of when ICE connections are created or
destroyed (using IceAddConnectionWatch
and IceRemoveConnectionWatch and will have to
call IceProcessMessages each time
a select shows that there is data to read on an
ICE connection. For further information, see the
Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
The callbacks argument contains a set of callbacks used to respond to
session manager events. The mask argument specifies which callbacks
are set. All of the callbacks specified in this version of SMlib are
mandatory. The mask argument is necessary in order to maintain
backwards compatibility in future versions of the library.
The following values may be ORed together to obtain a
mask value:
SmcSaveYourselfProcMaskSmcDieProcMaskSmcSaveCompleteProcMaskSmcShutdownCancelledProcMask
For each callback, the client can register a pointer to client data.
When SMlib invokes the callback, it will pass the client data pointer.
typedef struct {
struct {
SmcSaveYourselfProc callback;
SmPointer client_data;
} save_yourself;
struct {
SmcDieProc callback;
SmPointer client_data;
} die;
struct {
SmcSaveCompleteProc callback;
SmPointer client_data;
} save_complete;
struct {
SmcShutdownCancelledProc callback;
SmPointer client_data;
} shutdown_cancelled;
} SmcCallbacks;
The Save Yourself Callback
The Save Yourself callback is of type SmcSaveYourselfProctypedef void (*SaveYourselfProc)SmcConn smc_connSmcConn client_dataint save_typeBool shutdownint interact_styleBool fastsmc_connThe session management connection object.client_dataClient data specified when the callback was registered.save_typeSpecifies the type of information that should be saved.shut_downSpecifies if a shutdown is taking place.interact_styleThe type of interaction allowed with the user.fastif True, then client should save its state as quickly as possible.
The session manager sends a “Save Yourself” message to a
client either to checkpoint it or just before termination so that it
can save its state. The client responds with zero or more calls
to SmcSetProperties to update the properties
indicating how to restart the client. When all the properties have
been set, the client calls SmcSaveYourselfDone
If interact_style is
SmInteractStyleNone the
client must not interact with the user while saving state.
If interact_style is
SmInteractStyleErrors the
client may interact with the user only if an error condition arises.
If interact_style is
SmInteractStyleAny then the
client may interact with the user for any purpose. Because only one
client can interact with the user at a time, the client must
call SmcInteractRequest and wait for an
“Interact” message from the session manager. When the
client is done interacting with the user, it
calls SmcInteractDone The client may only
call SmcInteractRequest after it receives a
“Save Yourself” message and before it
calls SmcSaveYourselfDone
If save_type is SmSaveLocal the
client must update the properties to reflect its current state. Specifically,
it should save enough information to restore the state as seen by the
user of this client. It should not affect the state as seen by other users.
If save_type is SmSaveGlobal
the user wants the client to commit all of its data to permanent, globally
accessible storage.
If save_type is SmSaveBoth
the client should do both of these (it should first commit the data to
permanent storage before updating its properties).
Some examples are as follows:
If a word processor were sent a “Save Yourself” with a
type of SmSaveLocal it could create a temporary
file that included the current contents of the file, the location of
the cursor, and other aspects of the current editing session. It
would then update its SmRestartCommand property with
enough information to find this temporary file.
If a word processor were sent a “Save Yourself” with a
type of SmSaveGlobal it would simply save the
currently edited file.
If a word processor were sent a “Save Yourself” with a
type of SmSaveBoth it would first save the
currently edited file. It would then create a temporary file with
information such as the current position of the cursor and what file
is being edited. Finally, it would update its
SmRestartCommand property with enough information
to find the temporary file.
The shutdown argument specifies whether the
system is being shut down.
The interaction is different depending on whether or not shutdown is
set. If not shutting down, the client should save its state and wait
for a “Save Complete” message. If shutting down, the
client must save state and then prevent interaction until it receives
either a “Die” or a “Shutdown Cancelled.”
The fast argument specifies that the client
should save its state as quickly as possible. For example, if the
session manager knows that power is about to fail, it would
set fast to True.
The Die Callback
The Die callback is of type SmcDieProctypedef void (*SmcDieProc)SmcConn smc_connSmcConn client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.client_dataClient data specified when the callback was registered.
The session manager sends a “Die” message to a client when
it wants it to die. The client should respond by calling
SmcCloseConnection. A session manager that
behaves properly will send a “Save Yourself” message
before the “Die” message.
The Save Complete Callback
The Save Complete callback is of type SmcSaveCompleteProctypedef void (*SmcSaveCompleteProc)SmcConn smc_connSmPointer client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.client_dataClient data specified when the callback was registered.The Shutdown Cancelled Callback
The Shutdown Cancelled callback is of type
SmcShutdownCancelledProctypedef void (*SmcShutdownCancelledProc)SmcConn smc_connSmPointer client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.client_dataClient data specified when the callback was registered.
The session manager sends a “Shutdown Cancelled” message
when the user cancelled the shutdown during an interaction
(see section 5.5,
“Interacting With the User”). The client can now
continue as if the shutdown had never happened. If the client has not
called SmcSaveYourselfDone yet, it can either
abort the save and then call SmcSaveYourselfDone
with the success argument set to False or it can
continue with the save and then call SmcSaveYourselfDone
with the success argument set to reflect the outcome
of the save.
Closing the Connection
To close a connection with a session manager,
use SmcCloseConnectionSmcCloseStatus SmcCloseConnectionSmcConn smc_connint countchar **reason_msgssmc_connThe session management connection object.countThe number of reasons for closing the connection.reason_msgsThe reasons for closing the connection.
The reason_msgs argument will most likely be
NULL if resignation is expected by the client.
Otherwise, it contains a list of null-terminated Compound Text strings
representing the reason for termination. The session manager should
display these reason messages to the user.
Note that SMlib used the ICE protocol to establish a connection with
the session manager, and various protocols other than session
management may be active on the ICE connection.
When SmcCloseConnection is called, the ICE
connection will be closed only if all protocols have been shutdown on
the connection. Check the ICElib standard
for IceAddConnectionWatch
and IceRemoveConnectionWatch to learn how to set
up a callback to be invoked each time an ICE connection is opened or
closed. Typically this callback adds/removes the ICE file descriptor
from the list of active descriptors to call select on
(or calls XtAppAddInput or
XtRemoveInput).
SmcCloseConnection returns one of the following values:
SmcClosedNow - the ICE connection was closed at
this time, the watch procedures were invoked, and the connection was freed.
SmcClosedASAP - an IO error had occurred on the
connection, but SmcCloseConnection is being
called within a nested IceProcessMessages The
watch procedures have been invoked at this time, but the connection
will be freed as soon as possible (when the nesting level reaches zero
and IceProcessMessages returns a status
of IceProcessMessagesConnectionClosedSmcConnectionInUse - the connection was not closed at
this time, because it is being used by other active protocols.
Modifying Callbacks
To modify callbacks set up in SmcOpenConnection
use SmcModifyCallbacksvoid SmcModifyCallbacksSmcConn smc_connunsigned long maskSmcCallbacks *callbackssmc_connThe session management connection object.maskA mask indicating which callbacks to modify.callbacksThe new callbacks.
When specifying a value for the mask argument,
the following values may be ORed together:
SmcSaveYourselfProcMaskSmcDieProcMaskSmcSaveCompleteProcMaskSmcShutdownCancelledProcMaskSetting, Deleting, and Retrieving Session Management Properties
To set session management properties for this client,
use SmcSetPropertiesvoid SmcSetPropertiesSmcConn smc_connint num_propsSmProp **propssmc_connThe session management connection object.num_propsThe number of properties.propsThe list of properties to set.
The properties are specified as an array of property pointers.
Previously set property values may be over-written using
the SmcSetProperties function. Note that the
session manager is not expected to restore property values when the
session is restarted. Because of this, clients should not try to use
the session manager as a database for storing application specific state.
For a description of session management properties and
the SmProp structure,
see section 7,
“Session Management Properties.”
To delete properties previously set by the client,
use SmcDeletePropertiesvoid SmcDeletePropertiesSmcConn smc_connint num_propschar **prop_namessmc_connThe session management connection object.num_propsThe number of properties.prop_namesThe list of properties to set.
To get properties previously stored by the client,
use SmcGetPropertiesStatus SmcGetPropertiesSmcConn smc_connSmcPropReplyProc prop_reply_procSmPointer client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.prop_reply_procThe callback to be invoked when the properties reply comes back.client_dataThis pointer to client data will be passed to the SmcPropReplyProc callback.
The return value of SmcGetProperties is zero for
failure and a positive value for success.
Note that the library does not block until the properties reply comes
back. Rather, a callback of type SmcPropReplyProc
is invoked when the data is ready.
typedef void (*SmcPropReplyProc)SmcConn smc_connSmPointer client_dataint num_propsSmProp **propssmc_connThe session management connection object.client_dataThis pointer to client data will be passed to the SmcPropReplyProc callback.num_propsThe number of properties returned.propsThe list of properties returned.
To free each property, use SmFreeProperty
(see section 8, “Freeing
Data”). To free the actual array of pointers,
use freeInteracting With the User
After receiving a “Save Yourself” message with an
interact_style of
SmInteractStyleErrors
or SmInteractStyleAny the client may choose to
interact with the user. Because only one client can interact with the
user at a time, the client must call SmcInteractRequest
and wait for an “Interact” message from the session manager.
Status SmcInteractRequestSmcConn smc_connint dialog_typeSmcInteractProc interact_procSmPointer client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.dialog_typeThe type of dialog the client wishes to present to the user.interact_procThe callback to be invoked when the “Interact” message arrives from the session manager.client_data
This pointer to client data will be passed to
the SmcInteractProc callback when the
“Interact” message arrives.
The return value of SmcInteractRequest is zero
for failure and a positive value for success.
The dialog_type argument specifies
either SmDialogError indicating that the client
wants to start an error dialog, or SmDialogNormal
meaning that the client wishes to start a nonerror dialog.
Note that if a shutdown is in progress, the user may have the option
of cancelling the shutdown. If the shutdown is cancelled, the clients
that have not interacted yet with the user will receive a
“Shutdown Cancelled” message instead of the
“Interact” message.
The SmcInteractProc callback will be invoked when
the “Interact” message arrives from the session manager.
typedef void (*SmcInteractProc)SmcConn smc_connSmPointer client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.client_dataClient data specified when the callback was registered.
After interacting with the user (in response to an “Interact”
message), you should call SmcInteractDonevoid SmcInteractDoneSmcConn smc_connBool cancel_shutdownsmc_connThe session management connection object.cancel_shutdownIf True, indicates that the user requests that the entire shutdown be cancelled.
The cancel_shutdown argument may only be
True if the corresponding “Save Yourself”
specified True for shutdown
and SmInteractStyleErrors
or SmInteractStyleAny for
the interact_style.
Requesting a Save Yourself
To request a checkpoint from the session manager,
use SmcRequestSaveYourselfvoid SmcRequestSaveYourselfSmcConn smc_connint save_typeBool shutdownint interact_styleBool fastBool globalsmc_connThe session management connection object.save_typeSpecifies the type of information that should be saved.shutdownSpecifies if a shutdown is taking place.interact_styleThe type of interaction allowed with the user.fastIf True the client should save its state as quickly as possible.globalControls who gets the “Save Yourself.”
The save_type, shutdown,
interact_style, and fast
arguments are discussed in more detail in
section 5.1.1,
“The Save Yourself Callback.”
If global is set to True then
the resulting “Save Yourself” should be sent to all clients in the
session. For example, a vendor of a Uninterruptible Power Supply
(UPS) might include a Session Management client
that would monitor the status of the UPS and generate a fast shutdown
if the power is about to be lost.
If global is set to False then the “Save
Yourself” should only be sent to the client that requested it.
Requesting a Save Yourself Phase 2
In response to a “Save Yourself”, the client may request to be
informed when all the other clients are quiescent so that it can save their
state. To do so, use SmcRequestSaveYourselfPhase2Status SmcRequestSaveYourselfPhase2SmcConn smc_connSmcSaveYourselfPhase2Proc save_yourself_phase2_procSmPointer client_datasmc_connThe session management connection object.save_type_phase2_procThe callback to be invoked when the “Save Yourself Phase 2” message arrives from the session manager.client_dataThis pointer to client data will be passed to the SmcSaveYourselfPhase2Proc callback when the “Save Yourself Phase 2” message arrives.
The return value of SmcRequestSaveYourselfPhase2
is zero for failure and a positive value for success.
This request is needed by clients that manage other clients (for
example, window managers, workspace managers, and so on). The manager
must make sure that all of the clients that are being managed are in
an idle state so that their state can be saved.
Completing a Save Yourself
After saving state in response to a “Save Yourself”
message, you should call SmcSaveYourselfDonevoid SmcSaveYourselfDoneSmcConn smc_connBool successsmc_connThe session management connection object.successIf True the “Save Yourself” operation was completed successfully.
Before calling SmcSaveYourselfDone the client
must have set each required property at least once since the client
registered with the session manager.
Using Smc Informational Functionsint SmcProtocolVersionSmcConn smc_connSmcProtocolVersion returns the major version of
the session management protocol associated with this session.
int SmcProtocolRevisionSmcConn smc_connSmcProtocolRevision returns the minor version of
the session management protocol associated with this session.
char *SmcVendorSmcConn smc_connSmcVendor returns a string that provides some
identification of the owner of the session manager. The string should
be freed with a call to freechar *SmcReleaseSmcConn smc_connSmcRelease returns a string that provides the
release number of the session manager. The string should be freed
with a call to freechar *SmcClientIDSmcConn smc_connSmcClientID returns a null-terminated string for
the client ID associated with this connection. This information was
also returned in SmcOpenConnection (it is
provided here for convenience). Call free on
this pointer when the client ID is no longer needed.
IceConn SmcGetIceConnectionSmcConn smc_connSmcGetIceConnection returns the ICE connection
object associated with this session management connection object. The
ICE connection object can be used to get some additional information
about the connection. Some of the more useful functions which can be
used on the IceConn are IceConnectionNumber,
IceConnectionString,
IceLastSentSequenceNumber,
IceLastReceivedSequenceNumber,
and IcePing. For further information, see
the Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Error Handling
If the client receives an unexpected protocol error from the session
manager, an error handler is invoked by SMlib. A default error
handler exists that simply prints the error message
to stderr and exits if the severity of the error
is fatal. The client can change this error handler by calling
the SmcSetErrorHandler function.
SmcErrorHandler SmcSetErrorHandlerSmcErrorHandler handler
The error handler. You should pass NULL to
restore the default handler.
SmcSetErrorHandler returns the previous error handler.
The SmcErrorHandler has the following type:
typedef void (*SmcErrorHandler)SmcConn smc_connBool swapint offending_minor_opcodeunsigned long offending_sequence_numint error_classint severityIcePointer valuessmc_connThe session management connection object.swapA flag that indicates if the specified values need byte swapping.offending_minor_opcodeThe minor opcode of the offending message.offending_sequence_numThe sequence number of the offending message.error_classThe error class of the offending message.severityIceCanContinue,
IceFatalToProtocol, or
IceFatalToConnectionvaluesAny additional error values specific to the minor opcode and class.
Note that this error handler is invoked for protocol related errors.
To install an error handler to be invoked when an IO error occurs, use
IceSetIOErrorHandler For further information, see
the Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Session Management Server (Sms) Functions
This section discusses how Session Management servers:
Initialize the libraryRegister the clientSend a “Save Yourself” messageSend a “Save Yourself Phase 2” messageSend an “Interact” messageSend a “Save Complete” messageSend a “Die” messageCancel a shutdownReturn propertiesPing a clientClean up after a client disconnectsUse Sms informational functionsHandle errorsInitializing the LibrarySmsInitialize is the first SMlib function that
should be called by a session manager. It provides information about
the session manager and registers a callback that will be invoked each
time a new client connects to the session manager.
Status SmsInitializechar *vendorchar *releaseSmsNewClientProc new_client_procSmPointer manager_dataIceHostBasedAuthProc host_based_auth_procint error_lengthchar *error_string_retvendorA string specifying the session manager vendor.releaseA string specifying the session manager release number.new_client_procCallback to be invoked each time a new client connects to the session manager.manager_dataWhen the SmsNewClientProc callback is invoked, this pointer to manager data will be passed.host_based_auth_procHost based authentication callback.error_lengthLength of the error_string_ret argument passed in.error_string_ret
Returns a null-terminated error message, if any.
The error_string_ret points to user supplied memory.
No more than error_length bytes are used.
After the SmsInitialize function is called, the
session manager should call the IceListenForConnections
function to listen for new connections. Afterwards, each time a
client connects, the session manager should
call IceAcceptConnection
See section 9,
“Authentication of Clients,” for more details on
authentication (including host based authentication). Also see
the Inter-Client Exchange
Library standard for further details on listening for and
accepting ICE connections.
Each time a new client connects to the session manager,
the SmsNewClientProc callback is invoked. The
session manager obtains a new opaque connection object that it should
use for all future interaction with the client. At this time, the
session manager must also register a set of callbacks to respond to
the different messages that the client might send.
typedef Status (*SmsNewClientProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataunsigned long *mask_retSmsCallbacks *callbacks_retchar **failure_reason_retsms_connA new opaque connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.mask_retOn return, indicates which callbacks were set by the session manager.callbacks_retOn return, contains the callbacks registered by the session manager.failure_reason_retFailure reason returned.
If a failure occurs, the SmsNewClientProc should
return a zero status as well as allocate and return a failure reason
string in failure_reason_ret.
SMlib will be responsible for freeing this memory.
The session manager must register a set of callbacks to respond to
client events. The mask_ret argument specifies
which callbacks are set. All of the callbacks specified in this version of
SMlib are mandatory. The mask_ret argument is
necessary in order to maintain backwards compatibility in future versions
of the library.
The following values may be ORed together to obtain a mask value:
SmsRegisterClientProcMaskSmsInteractRequestProcMaskSmsInteractDoneProcMaskSmsSaveYourselfRequestProcMaskSmsSaveYourselfP2RequestProcMaskSmsSaveYourselfDoneProcMaskSmsCloseConnectionProcMaskSmsSetPropertiesProcMaskSmsDeletePropertiesProcMaskSmsGetPropertiesProcMask
For each callback, the session manager can register a pointer to
manager data specific to that callback. This pointer will be passed
to the callback when it is invoked by SMlib.
typedef struct {
struct {
SmsRegisterClientProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} register_client;
struct {
SmsInteractRequestProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} interact_request;
struct {
SmsInteractDoneProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} interact_done;
struct {
SmsSaveYourselfRequestProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} save_yourself_request;
struct {
SmsSaveYourselfPhase2RequestProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} save_yourself_phase2_request;
struct {
SmsSaveYourselfDoneProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} save_yourself_done;
struct {
SmsCloseConnectionProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} close_connection;
struct {
SmsSetPropertiesProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} set_properties;
struct {
SmsDeletePropertiesProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} delete_properties;
struct {
SmsGetPropertiesProc callback;
SmPointer manager_data;
} get_properties;
} SmsCallbacks;
The Register Client Callback
The Register Client callback is the first callback that will be
invoked after the client connects to the session manager. Its type
is SmsRegisterClientProctypedef Status (*SmsRegisterClientProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_datachar *previous_idsms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.previous_idThe client ID from the previous session.
Before any further interaction takes place with the client, the client
must be registered with the session manager.
If the client is being restarted from a previous session,
previous_id will contain a null-terminated string
representing the client ID from the previous session.
Call free on the previous_id
pointer when it is no longer needed. If the client is first joining the
session, previous_id will be NULL.
If previous_id is invalid, the session manager should
not register the client at this time. This callback should return a status
of zero, which will cause an error message to be sent to the client. The
client should re-register with previous_id set to NULL.
Otherwise, the session manager should register the client with a unique
client ID by calling the SmsRegisterClientReply
function (to be discussed shortly), and the
SmsRegisterClientProc callback should return a
status of one.
The Interact Request Callback
The Interact Request callback is of
type SmsInteractRequestProctypedef void (*SmsInteractRequestProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataint dialog_typesms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.dialog_typeThe type of dialog the client wishes to present to the user.
When a client receives a “Save Yourself” message with an
interact_style of
SmInteractStyleErrors
or SmInteractStyleAny the client may choose to
interact with the user. Because only one client can interact with the
user at a time, the client must request to interact with the user.
The session manager should keep a queue of all clients wishing to
interact. It should send an “Interact” message to one
client at a time and wait for an “Interact Done” message
before continuing with the next client.
The dialog_type argument specifies
either SmDialogError indicating that the client
wants to start an error dialog, or SmDialogNormal
meaning that the client wishes to start a nonerror dialog.
If a shutdown is in progress, the user may have the option of
cancelling the shutdown. If the shutdown is cancelled (specified in
the “Interact Done” message), the session manager should
send a “Shutdown Cancelled” message to each client that
requested to interact.
The Interact Done Callback
When the client is done interacting with the user,
the SmsInteractDoneProc callback will be invoked.
typedef void (*SmsInteractDoneProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataBool cancel_shutdownsms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.cancel_shutdownSpecifies if the user requests that the entire shutdown be cancelled.
Note that the shutdown can be cancelled only if the corresponding
“Save Yourself” specified True for
shutdown and SmInteractStyleErrors
or SmInteractStyleAny for the
interact_style.
The Save Yourself Request Callback
The Save Yourself Request callback is of
type SmsSaveYourselfRequestProctypedef void (*SaveYourselfRequestProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataint save_typeBool shutdownint interact_styleBool fastBool globalsms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.save_typeSpecifies the type of information that should be saved.shutdownSpecifies if a shutdown is taking place.interact_styleThe type of interaction allowed with the user.fastIf True the client should save its state as quickly as possible.globalControls who gets the “Save Yourself.”
The Save Yourself Request prompts the session manager to initiate a
checkpoint or shutdown. For information on the
save_type, shutdown,
interact_style, and fast
arguments, see section 6.3,
“Sending a Save Yourself Message.”
If global is set to True then the
resulting “Save Yourself” should be sent to all applications.
If global is set to False then the
“Save Yourself” should only be sent to the client that requested it.
The Save Yourself Phase 2 Request Callback
The Save Yourself Phase 2 Request callback is of
type SmsSaveYourselfPhase2RequestProctypedef void (*SmsSaveYourselfPhase2RequestProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_datasms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.
This request is sent by clients that manage other clients (for
example, window managers, workspace managers, and so on). Such
managers must make sure that all of the clients that are being managed
are in an idle state so that their state can be saved.
The Save Yourself Done Callback
When the client is done saving its state in response to a
“Save Yourself” message,
the SmsSaveYourselfDoneProc will be invoked.
typedef void (*SaveYourselfDoneProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataBool successsms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.successIf True the Save Yourself operation was completed successfully.
Before the “Save Yourself Done” was sent, the client must
have set each required property at least once since it registered with
the session manager.
The Connection Closed Callback
If the client properly terminates (that is, it
calls SmcCloseConnection,
the SmsCloseConnectionProc callback is invoked.
typedef void (*SmsCloseConnectionProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataint countchar **reason_msgssms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.countThe number of reason messages.reason_msgsThe reasons for closing the connection.
The reason_msgs argument will most likely
be NULL and the count
argument zero (0) if resignation is expected by the user. Otherwise,
it contains a list of null-terminated Compound Text strings
representing the reason for termination. The session manager should
display these reason messages to the user.
Call SmFreeReasons to free the reason messages.
For further information, see
section 8, “Freeing Data”
The Set Properties Callback
When the client sets session management properties,
the SmsSetPropertiesProc callback will be invoked.
typedef void (*SmsSetPropertiesProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataint num_propsSmProp **propssms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.num_propsThe number of properties.propsThe list of properties to set.
The properties are specified as an array of property pointers. For a
description of session management properties and
the SmProp structure,
see section 7,
“Session Management Properties.”
Previously set property values may be over-written. Some properties
have predefined semantics. The session manager is required to store
nonpredefined properties.
To free each property, use SmFreeProperty.
For further information, see section 8,
“Freeing Data” You should free the actual array of
pointers with a call to freeThe Delete Properties Callback
When the client deletes session management properties,
the SmsDeletePropertiesProc callback will be invoked.
typedef void (*SmsDeletePropertiesProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_dataint num_propschar **prop_namessms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.num_propsThe number of properties.prop_namesThe list of properties to delete.
The properties are specified as an array of strings. For a
description of session management properties and
the SmProp structure,
see section 7,
“Session Management Properties.”
The Get Properties Callback
The SmsGetPropertiesProc callback is invoked when
the client wants to retrieve properties it set.
typedef void (*SmsGetPropertiesProc)SmsConn sms_connSmPointer manager_datasms_connThe session management connection object.manager_dataManager data specified when the callback was registered.
The session manager should respond by
calling SmsReturnProperties.
All of the properties set for this client should be returned.
Registering the Client
To register a client (in response to
a SmsRegisterClientProc callback),
use SmsRegisterClientReply.
Status SmsRegisterClientReplySmsConn sms_connchar *client_idsms_connThe session management connection object.client_idA null-terminated string representing a unique client ID.
The return value of SmsRegisterClientReply is
zero for failure and a positive value for success. Failure will occur
if SMlib can not allocate memory to hold a copy of the client ID for
it's own internal needs.
If a non-NULLprevious_id was
specified when the client registered itself, client_id
should be identical to previous_id.
Otherwise, client_id should be a unique ID freshly
generated by the session manager. In addition, the session manager should
send a “Save Yourself” message with
type = Local,
shutdown = False,
interact-style = None,
and fast = False
immediately after registering the client.
Note that once a client ID has been assigned to the client, the client
keeps this ID indefinitely. If the client is terminated and
restarted, it will be reassigned the same ID. It is desirable to be
able to pass client IDs around from machine to machine, from user to
user, and from session manager to session manager, while retaining the
identity of the client. This, combined with the indefinite
persistence of client IDs, means that client IDs need to be globally
unique.
You should call the SmsGenerateClientID function
to generate a globally unique client ID.
char *SmsGenerateClientIDSmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.NULL will be returned if the ID could not be generated.
Otherwise, the return value of the function is the client ID.
It should be freed with a call to free when
no longer needed.
Sending a Save Yourself Message
To send a “Save Yourself” to a client,
use SmsSaveYourself.
void SmsSaveYourselfSmsConn sms_connint save_typeBool shutdownint interact_styleBool fastsms_connThe session management connection object.save_typeSpecifies the type of information that should be saved.shutdownSpecifies if a shutdown is taking place.interact_styleThe type of interaction allowed with the user.fastIf True the client should save its state as quickly as possible.
The session manager sends a “Save Yourself” message to a
client either to checkpoint it or just before termination so that it
can save its state. The client responds with zero or more “Set
Properties” messages to update the properties indicating how to
restart the client. When all the properties have been set, the client
sends a “Save Yourself Done” message.
If interact_style
is SmInteractStyleNone the
client must not interact with the user while saving state.
If interact_style
is SmInteractStyleErrors the
client may interact with the user only if an error condition arises.
If interact_style
is SmInteractStyleAny then the
client may interact with the user for any purpose. The client must
send an “Interact Request” message and wait for an
“Interact” message from the session manager before it can
interact with the user. When the client is done interacting with the
user, it should send an “Interact Done” message. The
“Interact Request” message can be sent any time after a
“Save Yourself” and before a “Save Yourself
Done.”
If save_type is SmSaveLocal
the client must update the properties to reflect its current state.
Specifically, it should save enough information to restore the state as
seen by the user of this client. It should not affect the state as seen
by other users.
If save_type is SmSaveGlobal
the user wants the client to commit all of its data to permanent, globally
accessible storage.
If save_type is SmSaveBoth
the client should do both of these (it should first commit the data to
permanent storage before updating its properties).
The shutdown argument specifies whether the session
is being shut down. The interaction is different depending on whether or not
shutdown is set. If not shutting down, then the client can save and
resume normal operation. If shutting down, the client must save and
then must prevent interaction until it receives either a
“Die” or a “Shutdown Cancelled,” because
anything the user does after the save will be lost.
The fast argument specifies that the client should
save its state as quickly as possible. For example, if the session manager
knows that power is about to fail, it should set fast
to True.
Sending a Save Yourself Phase 2 Message
In order to send a “Save Yourself Phase 2” message to a
client, use SmsSaveYourselfPhase2void SmsSaveYourselfPhase2SmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.
The session manager sends this message to a client that has previously
sent a “Save Yourself Phase 2 Request” message. This
message informs the client that all other clients are in a fixed state
and this client can save state that is associated with other clients.
Sending an Interact Message
To send an “Interact” message to a client,
use SmsInteract.
void SmsInteractSmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.
The “Interact” message grants the client the privilege of
interacting with the user. When the client is done interacting with
the user, it must send an “Interact Done” message to the
session manager.
Sending a Save Complete Message
To send a “Save Complete” message to a client,
use SmsSaveComplete.
void SmsSaveCompleteSmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.
The session manager sends this message when it is done with a
checkpoint. The client is then free to change its state.
Sending a Die Message
To send a “Die” message to a client,
use SmsDie.
void SmsDieSmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.
Before the session manager terminates, it should wait for a
“Connection Closed” message from each client that it sent
a “Die” message to, timing out appropriately.
Cancelling a Shutdown
To cancel a shutdown, use SmsShutdownCancelled.
void SmsShutdownCancelledSmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.
The client can now continue as if the shutdown had never happened. If
the client has not sent a “Save Yourself Done” message
yet, it can either abort the save and send a “Save Yourself
Done” with the success argument set to False
or it can continue with the save and send a “Save Yourself Done”
with the success argument set to reflect the outcome
of the save.
Returning Properties
In response to a “Get Properties” message, the session
manager should call SmsReturnProperties.
void SmsReturnPropertiesSmsConn sms_connint num_propsSmProp **propssms_connThe session management connection object.num_propsThe number of properties.propsThe list of properties to return to the client.
The properties are returned as an array of property pointers. For a
description of session management properties and
the SmProp structure,
see section 7,
“Session Management Properties.”
Pinging a Client
To check that a client is still alive, you should use
the IcePing function provided by the ICE library.
To do so, the ICE connection must be obtained using
the SmsGetIceConnection
(see section 6.12,
“Using Sms Informational Functions”).
void IcePingIceConn ice_connIcePingReplyProc ping_reply_procIcePointer client_dataice_connA valid ICE connection object.ping_reply_procThe callback to invoke when the Ping reply arrives.client_dataThis pointer will be passed to the IcePingReplyProc callback.
When the Ping reply is ready (if ever),
the IcePingReplyProc callback will be invoked. A
session manager should have some sort of timeout period, after which
it assumes the client has unexpectedly died.
typedef void (*IcePingReplyProc)IceConn ice_connIcePointer client_dataice_connA valid ICE connection object.client_dataThe client data specified in the call to IcePingCleaning Up After a Client Disconnects
When the session manager receives a “Connection Closed”
message or otherwise detects that the client aborted the connection,
it should call the SmsCleanUp function in order
to free up the connection object.
void SmsCleanUpSmsConn sms_connsms_connThe session management connection object.Using Sms Informational Functionsint SmsProtocolVersionSmsConn sms_connSmsProtocolVersion returns the major version of
the session management protocol associated with this session.
int SmsProtocolRevisionSmsConn sms_connSmsProtocolRevision returns the minor version of
the session management protocol associated with this session.
char *SmsClientIDSmsConn sms_connSmsClientID returns a null-terminated string for
the client ID associated with this connection. You should
call free on this pointer when the client ID is
no longer needed.
To obtain the host name of a client,
use SmsClientHostName.
This host name will be needed to restart the client.
char *SmsClientHostNameSmsConn sms_conn
The string returned is of the form
protocol/hostname,
where protocol is one of
{tcp, decnet, local}.
You should call free on the string returned when
it is no longer needed.
IceConn SmsGetIceConnectionSmsConn sms_connSmsGetIceConnection returns the ICE connection
object associated with this session management connection object. The
ICE connection object can be used to get some additional information
about the connection. Some of the more useful functions which can be
used on the IceConn are IceConnectionNumber
and IceLastSequenceNumber.
For further information, see the
Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Error Handling
If the session manager receives an unexpected protocol error from a
client, an error handler is invoked by SMlib. A default error handler
exists which simply prints the error message (it does not exit). The
session manager can change this error handler by
calling SmsSetErrorHandler.
SmsErrorHandler SmsSetErrorHandlerSmsErrorHandler handler
The error handler. You should pass NULL
to restore the default handler.
SmsSetErrorHandler returns the previous error handler.
The SmsErrorHandler has the following type:
typedef void (*SmsErrorHandler)SmsConn sms_connBool swapint offending_minor_opcodeunsigned long offending_sequence_numint error_classint severityIcePointer valuessms_connThe session management connection object.swapA flag which indicates if the specified values need byte swapping.offending_minor_opcodeThe minor opcode of the offending message.offending_sequence_numThe sequence number of the offending message.error_classThe error class of the offending message.severityIceCanContinue,
IceFatalToProtocol, or
IceFatalToConnectionvaluesAny additional error values specific to the minor opcode and class.
Note that this error handler is invoked for protocol related errors.
To install an error handler to be invoked when an IO error occurs,
use IceSetIOErrorHandler.
For further information, see the
Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Session Management Properties
Each property is defined by the SmProp structure:
typedef struct {
char *name; /* name of property */
char *type; /* type of property */
int num_vals; /* number of values */
SmPropValue *vals; /* the list of values */
} SmProp;
typedef struct {
int length; /* the length of the value */
SmPointer value; /* the value */
} SmPropValue;
The X Session Management Protocol defines a list of predefined
properties, several of which are required to be set by the client.
The following table specifies the predefined properties and indicates
which ones are required. Each property has a type associated with it.
A type of SmCARD8 indicates that there is a single 1-byte value.
A type of SmARRAY8 indicates that there is a single array of bytes.
A type of SmLISTofARRAY8 indicates that there is a list of array of
bytes.
NameTypePOSIX TypeRequiredSmCloneCommandOS-specificSmLISTofARRAY8YesSmCurrentDirectoryOS-specificSmARRAY8NoSmDiscardCommandOS-specificSmLISTofARRAY8No*SmEnvironmentOS-specificSmLISTofARRAY8NoSmProcessIDOS-specificSmARRAY8NoSmProgramOS-specificSmARRAY8YesSmRestartCommandOS-specificSmLISTofARRAY8YesSmResignCommandOS-specificSmLISTofARRAY8NoSmRestartStyleHintSmCARD8SmCARD8NoSmShutdownCommandOS-specificSmLISTofARRAY8NoSmUserIDSmARRAY8SmARRAY8Yes
* Required if any state is stored in an external repository (for
example, state file).
SmCloneCommand
This is like the SmRestartCommand, except it restarts a
copy of the application. The only difference is that the application does not
supply its client ID at register time. On POSIX systems,
this should be of type SmLISTofARRAY8.
SmCurrentDirectory
On POSIX-based systems, this specifies the value of the
current directory that needs to be set up prior to starting the
SmProgram and should of type SmARRAY8.
SmDiscardCommand
The discard command contains a command that when delivered to the host
that the client is running on (determined from the connection), will
cause it to discard any information about the current state. If this
command is not specified, the Session Manager will assume that all of
the client's state is encoded in the SmRestartCommand.
On POSIX systems, the type should be
SmLISTofARRAY8.
SmEnvironment
On POSIX based systems, this will be of type
SmLISTofARRAY8, where the ARRAY8s alternate between
environment variable name and environment variable value.
SmProcessID
This specifies an OS-specific identifier for the process.
On POSIX systems, this should contain the return value
of getpid turned into a Latin-1 (decimal) string.
SmProgram
This is the name of the program that is running. On POSIX
systems, this should be first parameter passed to execve
and should be of type SmARRAY8.
SmRestartCommand
The restart command contains a command that, when delivered to the
host that the client is running on (determined from the connection),
will cause the client to restart in its current state.
On POSIX-based systems, this is of
type SmLISTofARRAY8, and each of the elements in
the array represents an element in the argv
array. This restart command should ensure that the client restarts
with the specified client-ID.
SmResignCommand
A client that sets the SmRestartStyleHint
to SmRestartAnyway uses this property to specify a
command that undoes the effect of the client and removes any saved state.
As an example, consider a user that runs xmodmap which
registers with the Session Manager,
sets SmRestartStyleHint
to SmRestartAnyway, and then
terminates. To allow the Session Manager (at the user's request) to
undo this, xmodmap would register a
SmResignCommand that undoes the effects of
the xmodmap.
SmRestartStyleHint
If the SmRestartStyleHint is present, it will contain the
style of restarting the client prefers. If this style is not specified,
SmRestartIfRunning is assumed.
The possible values are as follows:
NameValueSmRestartIfRunning0SmRestartAnyway1SmRestartImmediately2SmRestartNever3
The SmRestartIfRunning style is used in the usual case.
The client should be restarted in the next session if it was running at
the end of the current session.
The SmRestartAnyway style is used to tell the Session
Manager that the application should be restarted in the next session even if
it exits before the current session is terminated. It should be noted that
this is only a hint and the Session Manager will follow the policies
specified by its users in determining what applications to restart.
A client that uses SmRestartAnyway should also set the
SmResignCommand and SmShutdownCommand
properties to commands that undo the state of the client after it exits.
The SmRestartImmediately style is like SmRestartAnyway, but, in addition, the client is meant to run continuously. If the client exits, the Session Manager should try to restart it in the current session.
SmRestartNever style specifies that the client does not
wish to be restarted in the next session.
SmShutdownCommand
This command is executed at shutdown time to clean up after a client
that is no longer running but retained its state by setting
SmRestartStyleHint to
SmRestartAnyway. The client must not remove any saved
state as the client is still part of the session. As an
example, consider a client that turns on a camera at start up time.
This client then exits. At session shutdown, the user wants the
camera turned off. This client would set the
SmRestartStyleHint to
SmRestartAnyway and would register
a SmShutdownCommand that would turn off the camera.
SmUserID
Specifies the user ID. On POSIX-based systems, this will
contain the user's name (the pw_name member of
struct passwd).
Freeing Data
To free an individual property, use SmFreePropertyvoid SmFreePropertySmProp *proppropThe property to free.
To free the reason strings from
the SmsCloseConnectionProc callback,
use SmFreeReasonsvoid SmFreeReasonsint countchar **reasonscountThe number of reason strings.reasonsThe list of reason strings to free.Authentication of Clients
As stated earlier, the session management protocol is layered on top
of ICE. Authentication occurs at two levels in the ICE protocol:
The first is when an ICE connection is opened.The second is when a Protocol Setup occurs on an ICE connection.
The authentication methods that are available are
implementation-dependent (that is., dependent on the ICElib and SMlib
implementations in use). For further information, see the
Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Working in a Multi-Threaded Environment
To declare that multiple threads in an application will be using SMlib
(or any other library layered on top of ICElib), you should
call IceInitThreads.
For further information, see the
Inter-Client Exchange Library
standard.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the following people for their participation in the
X Session Management design: Jordan Brown, Ellis Cohen, Donna Converse,
Stephen Gildea, Vania Joloboff, Stuart Marks, Bob Scheifler, Ralph Swick,
and Mike Wexler.