cinnamon-session

cinnamon-session

--session
    Specifies the session to start. This option is typically handled by the display manager.

--display
    Specifies the X display to use. Usually handled by display manager.

--help
    Displays help message and exits.

The `cinnamon-session` command is responsible for starting and managing the Cinnamon desktop environment. It initializes the Cinnamon session, launches core Cinnamon components like the window manager (Muffin), the panel, and the desktop environment settings daemon. It also handles session management, including starting up applications specified in autostart directories and restoring the previous session. When you log into a Cinnamon desktop environment, it's `cinnamon-session` that is orchestrating the entire process. It reads configuration files, sets up environment variables, and ensures that all necessary services are running to provide a fully functional desktop. Think of it as the conductor of the Cinnamon orchestra, ensuring all parts play together. It manages the lifecycle of applications within the Cinnamon environment and ensures a smooth user experience.
It's usually not invoked directly by the user, but rather called by display managers (like LightDM or GDM) or through `startx`.

While you *can* technically run `cinnamon-session` from a terminal, it's generally not recommended, especially if you already have a graphical session running. It's designed to be managed by the display manager. Also, Directly running it without a display manager might lead to issues with process management and system stability.

Cinnamon-session handles session management, including saving and restoring the state of running applications when you log out and log back in. This allows you to pick up where you left off, improving productivity.

When Cinnamon crashes, cinnamon-session is responsible for recovering or restarting the desktop environment. It includes basic error handling to ensure that a failed session doesn't leave the system in an unusable state.

Cinnamon is a fork of GNOME 3, and `cinnamon-session` is derived from `gnome-session`, inheriting much of its functionality and structure. It was developed by the Linux Mint team to provide a more traditional desktop experience compared to GNOME's default interface. The command's development closely tracks the evolution of Cinnamon itself, incorporating new features and improvements with each release. It manages the session, autostart applications and ensures that all necessary services are running for the Cinnamon environment.

startx(1), xinit(1), gnome-session(1)