Which of the following are tasks handled by a display manager like XDM or KDM? (Choose two correct answers.)

Question

Options

• AStart and prepare the desktop environment for the user.
• BConfigure additional devices like new monitors or projectors when they are attached.
• CHandle the login of a user.
• DLock the screen when the user was inactive for a configurable amount of time.
• ECreate an X11 configuration file for the current graphic devices and monitors.

• A
  73% (16)
• B
  14% (3)
• D
  9% (2)
• E
  5% (1)

Explanation

A display manager sits at the boundary between the X server and the user session: it presents the graphical login prompt (C) and, upon successful authentication, launches and hands off control to the chosen desktop environment (A). Those two responsibilities define its entire role.

The distractors describe jobs owned by other components:

• B (hot-plugging monitors/projectors) is handled by the X server or tools like udev and xrandr - the display manager is already out of the picture once a session is running.
• D (screen locking on inactivity) belongs to the desktop environment or a dedicated screensaver daemon (e.g., xscreensaver, gnome-screensaver).
• E (generating xorg.conf) is done by Xorg -configure or vendor tools like nvidia-xconfig, not the display manager.

Memory tip: Think of the display manager as a hotel front desk - it checks you in (login) and shows you to your room (starts the desktop). What happens inside the room, or with the hotel's plumbing and wiring, is someone else's job.

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