diff --git a/_toc.yml b/_toc.yml
index efb7dda7..949da94e 100644
--- a/_toc.yml
+++ b/_toc.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ chapters:
           - file: admin-guide/configuration/xrdp
           - file: admin-guide/configuration/custom_nameservers
           - file: admin-guide/configuration/puppet_agent
+          - file: admin-guide/configuration/keyboard_layout
+          - file: admin-guide/configuration/autologin
+          - file: admin-guide/configuration/screen_lock
+          - file: admin-guide/configuration/banner_message
+          - file: admin-guide/configuration/alternative_desktops
           - file: admin-guide/configuration/ssh_host_hopping
           - file: admin-guide/configuration/citrix_vda
       - file: admin-guide/guidelines
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration.md b/admin-guide/configuration.md
index ce97ba64..71188162 100644
--- a/admin-guide/configuration.md
+++ b/admin-guide/configuration.md
@@ -11,7 +11,15 @@ Here starts a so far small collections of configuration guides for sysadmins of
 - [RDP Remote Access with XRDP](configuration/xrdp)
 - [Resize System Volumes (volume group `vg_root`)](configuration/vgroot)
 - [Custom Nameservers](configuration/custom_nameservers)
-- [Puppent Agent run frequency](configuration/puppet_agent) 
+- [Puppent Agent run frequency](configuration/puppet_agent)
+
+## Desktop
+- [Keyboard Layout](configuration/keyboard_layout)
+- [Autologin](configuration/autologin)
+- [Screen Lock](configuration/screen_lock)
+- [Banner Message](configuration/banner_message)
+- [Alternative Desktops/Window Managers](configuration/alternative_desktops)
+
 
 ## Special Installations
 - [SSH Host Hopping as Root (e.g. between cluster members)](configuration/ssh_host_hopping)
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration/alternative_desktops.md b/admin-guide/configuration/alternative_desktops.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e7d5e69a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin-guide/configuration/alternative_desktops.md
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Alternative Desktops/Window Managers
+
+Per default Gnome is installed, but sometimes there is the wish for other Desktops or Window Managers.
+When changing the default desktop, please check the last chapter "Reset User Default Desktop".
+
+## XFCE
+XFCE is installed when `base::enable_xfce: true` is set in Hiera.
+It then is also used by default with `base::xfce_default: true` or `desktop::session_manager: xfce`.
+
+## IceWM
+IceWM is installed when `base::enable_icewm: true` is set in Hiera.
+It then is also used by default with `desktop::session_manager: icewm-session`.
+
+## Other (e.g. KDE)
+The respective Desktop needs to be installed, either manually or through Puppet.
+
+The respective Session Manager can be set as system default in Hiera with `desktop::session_manager`.
+
+The name of the Session Manager you find in `/usr/share/xsessions/*.desktop` for `Xorg` and `/usr/share/wayland-sessions/*.desktop` for `Wayland` (not supported at PSI). For the `desktop::session_manager` Hiera setting use the respective file name excluding the `.desktop` suffix.
+
+Example KDE:
+```
+base::pkg_group::kde:
+  - '@KDE Plasma Workspaces'
+
+base::package_groups:
+  - 'kde'
+
+desktop::session_manager: 'startplasma-x11'
+```
+
+## Reset User Default Desktop
+
+Note when changing the default desktop aka Session Manager, previous users will still get the one they used before. To reset that, you need to 
+- stop AccountsService (`systemctl stop accounts-daemon.service`)
+- delete `/var/lib/AccountsService/users/*` (for `gdm`)
+- delete `/var/cache/lightdm/dmrc/*.dmrc` (for `lightdm`)
+- delete `/var/lib/lightdm/.cache/lightdm-gtk-greeter/state` (for `lightdm` with `lightdm-gtk-greeter`)
+- start AccountsService (`systemctl start accounts-daemon.service`)
+
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration/autologin.md b/admin-guide/configuration/autologin.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..114e9638
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin-guide/configuration/autologin.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Autologin
+
+To configure a user to be automatically logged into the Desktop at system startup, use the following Hiera keys:
+
+- `desktop::autologin_enable`: enable/disable autologin
+- `desktop::autologin_user`: user account who should be looged in
+
+Example:
+
+```
+desktop::autologin_enable: true
+desktop::autologin_user: 'proton'
+```
+
+This is only implementd for `gdm` (default) and not yet for `lightdm` (rarely used at PSI)
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration/banner_message.md b/admin-guide/configuration/banner_message.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5b9706fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin-guide/configuration/banner_message.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Banner Message
+
+To show a specific message on the Desktop login screen, use the Hiera key `desktop::banner_message`:
+
+```
+desktop::banner_message: 'Good morning, this is a test banner message!'
+```
+
+Which then looks on RHEL8 like
+
+[Banner Message on Login Screen](banner_message/banner_message.png)
+
+The default is
+```
+Please contact the service desk (phone: 4800) in case you have problems logging in.
+```
+
+This is only implementd for `gdm` (default) and not yet for `lightdm` (rarely used at PSI)
+
+
+
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration/banner_message/banner_message.png b/admin-guide/configuration/banner_message/banner_message.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bdf24fc7
Binary files /dev/null and b/admin-guide/configuration/banner_message/banner_message.png differ
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration/keyboard_layout.md b/admin-guide/configuration/keyboard_layout.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8e1541c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin-guide/configuration/keyboard_layout.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+# Keyboard Layout
+
+The default keyboard layout as well as the list of available layouts to select from can be configured with the `desktop::keyboard_layouts` key in Hiera. The value is an list of keyboard layout identifier short.
+
+Default is:
+```
+desktop::keyboard_layouts:
+  - 'us'
+  - 'de'
+  - 'ch'
+```
+
+The available options you find at `/usr/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst` in the section `! layout`.
+
+
diff --git a/admin-guide/configuration/screen_lock.md b/admin-guide/configuration/screen_lock.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..26de9865
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin-guide/configuration/screen_lock.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Screen Lock
+
+To configure a user to be automatically logged into the Desktop at system startup, use the following Hiera keys:
+
+- `desktop::lock_enabled`: enable/disable screen lock (default `true`)
+- `desktop::idle_delay`: idle time in seconds until the screen switched off (default 5 minutes)
+- `desktop::lock_delay`: time in seconds between screen switched off and actually being locked (default `0`)
+
+Example:
+
+```
+desktop::lock_enabled: true
+desktop::idle_delay: 900
+desktop::lock_delay: 15
+```
+
+This is only implementd for Gnome desktop (default) and not yet for XFCE or any other desktop/window manager.