Windows XP login / logout KILLER for OS X!!!

[solrac]

You know how in Windows XP, you can log out, but leave all your applications open? Then someone else can log in, and use the computer, then log out. Then you can log back in and all your apps are how you left them??

This makes that aspect of XP superior to OS X.

But... this can be done on X too!!!

here's how (we just need a cocoa developer to make this REALLY a cool program...)

There's a program called Pseudo that runs any appplication you drag onto it as the root user. I had to work with some files that had root permissions only, and instead of doing su root on the terminal, I thought it would be fun to try launching the finder with root using pseudo.

So what happened is, I had TWO instances of Finder running! I saw the finder that had my settings, as well as the Finder that had root settings! (Smaller font, home button went to /private/var/root, etc.....)

Using ps -aux in the terminal, I could see indeed two instances of Finder were running. One with user solrac, the other with user root.

Then BING!! Bright idea. Someone make an app that lets you "log out"... yet just sets the computer to quit the finder, and start a new finder under the new user's name, and hide all applications under the old user, and start new instances of applications under the current users name.

That would be tantamount to Windows XP's functionality, maybe even better, depending on bells and whistles of the app.

I don't know why Apple didn't make it work like this....

Have fun :-D
-Carlos-

[cabbage]

Well you can't really logout and still have applications running as the user that logged out. It's just not possible. In XP you click on the Log Out button but than you have the option to Log Out OR to Swith User. You're talking about Switch User which doesn't actually log you out.

It is very cool but it can drain a lot of resources since the open apps are sitting there but it definitely has its uses. Like I can download a divx movie on Kazaa with one user and then my brother can login as himself and do his own work. He can even run his own instance of Kazaa that has will not screw up my instance.

It is very useful and I was suprised not to see it on OS X. I used X before XP and thought it was pretty cool XP has it. It seems not all apps will work however. I've only had problems with Extensis Suitcase in XP

[terran74]

I agree. Apple probably is working on this but will have to first figure out how to allow for multiple instances of certain apps to run.

It might also be an issue with Carbon apps. I can see how cocoa apps would allow this to work. Anyway If apple is listening please figure out a way to have get this feature.

I think it's a very useful feature when friends stop over and want to check their email or stuff real quick.

I usuaully put them on XP so as to not disturb my mac.