The Handbook
This document describes the KDE Display Manager. is also known as the Login Manager.

Introduction
provides a graphical interface that allows you to log in to a system. It prompts for login (username) and password, authenticates the user and starts to run a "session". is a "drop-in" replacement for xdm, the X Display Manager, and is superior to it in a number of ways.
The user-interface to is through two dialogue boxes. The main dialogue box has these features:
A "Login" field for you to enter your username.
A "Pass" field for you to enter your password.
A region to the left of the "Login" and "Pass" fields which can be used to display either a static image or an analogue clock.
(Optionally) a graphical image of each user (for example, a digitised photograph). Clicking on an image is equivalent to typing the associated username into the "Login" field. (This feature is an imitatation of the login box on IRIX).
A "session type" drop-down box that allows to be used to start sessions with various different window managers or desktop environments installed on the system, including KDE, KDE2 and GNOME.
A "Go!" button that validates the username/password combination and attempts to start a session of the selected type.
A "Cancel" button that clears the text from the "Login" and "Pass" fields.
(Optionally) a "Shutdown" button that displays the "Shutdown" dialogue box.
The "Shutdown" dialogue box presents a set of radio buttons that allow one of these options to be selected:
Shutdown 	Shut the system down in a controlled manner, ready for power-down.
Restart 	Shut the system down and reboot. For systems that use Lilo, an optional drop-down box allows you to select a particular operating-system kernel to be used for the reboot.
Restart X Server 	Stop and then restart the X-server. Typically, you might need to use this option if you have changed your X11 configuration in some way.
Console Mode 	Stop the X-server and return the system to console mode. This is achieved by bringing the system down to run-level 3. Typically, the system manager might need to use this option before upgrading or re-configuring X11 software.
Pressing the "OK" button initiates the selected action; pressing the "Cancel" button returns to the main dialogue box.
The next chapter explains how to configure . Subsequent chapters describe how to configure your system in order to use , how to build and install from source, and how to learn more about and the KDE project.