Subject:   -10- What is the difference between .xsession and .sgisession
                in IRIX 4.0.x?
Date: 07 May 1993 00:00:01 EST

  The system Xsession file (/usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession or
  Xsession-remote) starts up a number of important things when you log
  in, eg. 4Dwm, toolchest, loads resources, sets your
  XUSERFILESEARCHPATH, sets your root background, etc.

  One of the last things it does is look in your home directory for a
  .sgisession file.  This allows you to start additional programs at
  login time. This is the file that you would use to start a mailbox,
  additional window, a calendar, etc.

  ADVANTAGES OF $HOME/.sgisession :

      1) You don't need to read through yet another system file to see
	 what you need or don't need.

  DISADVANTAGES OF $HOME/.sgisession :

      1) You cannot override ALL of the defaults set for you. Some
         things you can't change from a .sgisession file:

         A) You can't start a different window manager.
         B) You can't change the way the console starts.
         C) You can't change toolchest output redirection to
  	  the console.

      2) Users of other vendors' equipment are used to seeing a
	 .xsession file.

  After checking for a "failsafe" (ie. no graphics) login, one of the
  first things that /usr/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession does is check for
  $HOME/.xsession.  If it exists, Xsession execs your .xsession file.
  This means that if you are REALLY sure you know what you are doing,
  you can log in with a different window manager, xterm as a console,
  or xwsh not already iconified, etc.  You can also turn off the
  toolchest output redirection, and start anything else you might have
  done in $HOME/.sgisession. There is a discussion on xsession files in
  volume 3 of the O'Reilly series.