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Login manager

Login system for Unix and Unix-like operating systems

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated July 16, 2026

A login manager is a login system for Unix and Unix-like operating systems. It comprises a login daemon, a login user interface, and a system for tracking login sessions. When a user tries to log in, the login manager passes the user's credentials to an authentication system.

Since an X display manager is a graphical user interface for login, some people use the terms display manager and login manager synonymously.

systemd, an init daemon for Linux, has an integrated login manager; its login daemon is called logind. systemd's login manager is a replacement for the no longer maintained ConsoleKit.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Login manager”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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