Request to Add Session Restoration Feature to Cinnamon Desktop

[heyvoon]

Dear Linux Mint Community,

I would like to kindly request the implementation of a session restoration feature in the Cinnamon desktop environment. This feature would allow users to save their current session, including all open applications and windows, and restore it automatically after restarting the system. Such functionality is incredibly useful for enhancing productivity and maintaining workflows, especially for users who rely on multiple applications during their daily tasks.

Currently, this feature is not natively available in Cinnamon. While there are workarounds like configuring startup applications or using third-party tools, these solutions do not fully replicate the seamless session restoration experience provided in other desktop environments like GNOME and KDE Plasma.

I understand that in the past, tools such as the "Icing Window Saver" applet were available to address similar needs. However, this applet was removed from the Cinnamon Spices due to inactivity and lack of maintenance, as discussed in the archived repository (Icing Window Saver GitHub Archive) and this issue thread (Cinnamon-Spices-Applets Issue #2352). While I recognize the importance of maintaining high standards and security for applets, I believe a built-in session-saving feature would be a more robust and long-term solution.

Would it be possible to consider adding this functionality in a future release of Cinnamon? I genuinely believe that this feature would greatly benefit many users and make Cinnamon even more user-friendly. Thank you for considering this request, and I am more than happy to collaborate or provide further feedback to support this effort.

[ghost]

Very good idea! Both KDE and XFCE knows session restore, no idea why Cinnamon lacks these basic features! I approve this idea!

[cplittlfield]

This is a good idea. It sounds like what hibernation does. Do you see any difference between what you are proposing and hibernation?

I like hibernation a lot, and would like to see it be easier to enable in Linux Mint. The problem is that hibernation, which writes the state of the system to the swap file and then restores it on system startup, apparently does not work on many machines, or does not work well, which is why it is no longer available by default on Ubuntu-based distros and the user has to jump through hoops to enable it.

I have a script that sets up various workspaces for me by opening the windows and applications I need for a specific project. Your suggestion sounds a lot like my script. However, my script requires me to start fresh after each startup. I know of no way to save the state of my applications (open files, open browser tabs, terminal sessions) and restore them with my script. It is hibernation I rely on for that.

[heyvoon]

If you read carefully you will understand that it is not hibernation. What I am proposing here already exists in some Linux desktops. It would save the state of you Windows. What is open and where on the screen have been opened. Hibernation is NOT a restart. What I am proposing here maintain the stat of apps and its positions on the screen(s).

[cplittlfield]

So in other words, if I have a document open in LibreOffice, the feature you want would only record that LibreOffice is open and where on the display it is. When I started up again, I would reload the document and scroll to the place where I left off working. Okay, got it, thanks. That makes sense.

[heyvoon]

Well, I think you are grasping the idea.

[cplittlfield]

Ah. What I prefer is hibernation, because it saves not only the open windows, but also their contents, so I can pick up working immediately.

[claudiux]

Not a perfect solution, but you can try it.

Open dconf-editor (install it if it is not) and set to true the key /org/cinnamon/cinnamon-session/auto-save-session.

Or use the command:
gsettings set org.cinnamon.SessionManager auto-save-session true

Save your current work then log-out/log-in.

[heyvoon]

The solution you provided (auto-save-session) is a partial workaround, but it may not fully fulfill your request for seamless session restoration like in GNOME/KDE. Here’s why:

What It Does:

• Enabling auto-save-session in Cinnamon (via dconf/gsettings) attempts to reopen some apps on login.
• It relies on apps supporting the XDG autostart protocol (e.g., some Cinnamon-aware apps, terminals, or browsers).

Limitations:

1. Inconsistent Restoration

   • Not all apps/windows reopen (e.g., some GTK apps may restore, while others like Steam or Electron apps might not).
   • Window positions/sizes aren’t always preserved.

2. No User Control

   • Unlike GNOME/KDE, there’s no:
     • "Save Session Now" button (manual saving).
     • "Restore last session" option at login.
   • It’s all-or-nothing (no selective restoration).

3. No State Preservation

   • GNOME/KDE can restore:
     • Open browser tabs.
     • Unsaved documents (if the app supports it, like LibreOffice).
   • Cinnamon’s method only relaunches apps, not their state.

Comparison to Other DEs:

Feature	Cinnamon (auto-save-session)	GNOME/KDE Session Management
Saves open apps	Partial (XDG-compliant only)	Yes (most apps)
Restores window positions	Rarely	Yes
Manual save/load	No	Yes (GNOME: dconf tweaks)
App state recovery	No	Yes (if app supports it)

Conclusion:

• If you only need basic app reopening, this setting might help.
• If you want full session restore (like GNOME/KDE), Cinnamon still lacks a native solution.

Workaround? Combine auto-save-session with:

• xdotool (to script window positions).
• App-specific settings (e.g., Firefox’s "Restore previous session").

[claudiux]

This is why I said: "Not a perfect solution".