auto-login settings not migrated

Bug #396459 reported by Scott James Remnant (Canonical)
26
This bug affects 3 people
Affects Status Importance Assigned to Milestone
gdm (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
High
Martin Pitt
Karmic
Fix Released
High
Martin Pitt
ubiquity (Ubuntu)
Fix Released
Undecided
Colin Watson
Karmic
Fix Released
Undecided
Colin Watson

Bug Description

Binary package hint: gdm

The installer used to (and maybe still does?) write the auto-login settings directly to /etc/gdm/gdm.conf - these need to be migrated to /etc/gdm/custom.conf on upgrade otherwise they are not used.

Revision history for this message
Scott James Remnant (Canonical) (canonical-scott) wrote :

Attached my gdm.conf

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

I'll do the migration in postinst. We also need to clean up gdm.conf, which is obsolete.

Changed in gdm (Ubuntu):
assignee: nobody → Martin Pitt (pitti)
importance: Undecided → High
status: New → In Progress
Revision history for this message
Colin Watson (cjwatson) wrote :

This was fixed in user-setup a little while ago, although ubiquity hasn't yet been uploaded for that change.

Changed in ubiquity (Ubuntu Karmic):
assignee: nobody → Colin Watson (cjwatson)
status: New → Fix Committed
Martin Pitt (pitti)
Changed in gdm (Ubuntu Karmic):
status: In Progress → Fix Committed
Revision history for this message
Launchpad Janitor (janitor) wrote :

This bug was fixed in the package gdm - 2.26.1-0ubuntu5

---------------
gdm (2.26.1-0ubuntu5) karmic; urgency=low

  * debian/gdm.preinst: Remove obsolete conffiles.
  * debian/gdm.preinst: Migrate autologin settings from gdm.conf (which isn't
    read any more) to custom.conf. (LP: #396459)
  * Add 81_initial_server_on_vt7.patch: Force initial X server to go to tty7
    instead of tty1. This is an Ugly Hack until we have a cleaner solution for
    getty not to tramp over a running X server on vt1. This bandaids the
    immediate problem of the first X server being killed after a few minutes
    due to getty on tty1 timing out. (LP: #396226)

 -- Martin Pitt <email address hidden> Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:08:07 +0200

Changed in gdm (Ubuntu Karmic):
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

I just downloaded the gdm fix. Still have no auto login.Have also now lost root log in,dont know if they are related. Is there something I need to do?

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote : Re: [Bug 396459] Re: auto-login settings not migrated

Dave Stroud [2009-07-09 18:44 -0000]:
> I just downloaded the gdm fix. Still have no auto login.

Can you please attach your /etc/gdm/gdm.conf (or
/etc/gdm/gdm.conf.dpkg-bak now), and /etc/gdm/custom.conf ?

> Have also now lost root log in,

What is "lost"? You can't log in as root? Until when did that work
exactly?

Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :
Download full text (35.8 KiB)

# GDM System Defaults Configuration file.
#
# This file should not be updated by hand. Since GDM 2.13.0.4, configuration
# choices in the GDM System Configuration file (/etc/gdm/gdm.conf) will
# override the default values specified in this file.
#
# If you were using an older version of GDM, your system may have the the older
# gdm.conf configuration file on the system. If so, then this file is used
# instead of the GDM Custom Configuration file for backwards support. If you
# make changes to the GDM Custom Configuration file and they seem to not be
# taking effect, this is likely the problem. Consider migrating your
# configuration to the new configuration file and removing the gdm.conf file.
#
# You can use the gdmsetup program to graphically edit the gdm.conf-custom
# file. Note that gdmsetup does not support every option in this file, just
# the most common ones that users want to change. If you feel that gdmsetup
# should support additional configuration options, please file a bug report at
# http://bugzilla.gnome.org/.
#
# If you hand-edit the GDM configuration, you should run the following command
# to get the GDM daemon to recognize the change. Any running GDM GUI programs
# will also be notified to update with the new configuration.
#
# gdmflexiserver --command="UPDATE_CONFIG <configuration key>"
#
# e.g, the "Enable" key in the "[debug]" section would be "debug/Enable".
#
# You can also run invoke-rc.d gdm reload or invoke-rc.d gdm restart
# to cause GDM to restart and re-read the new configuration settings.
# You can also restart GDM by sending a HUP or USR1 signal to the
# daemon. HUP behaves like restart and causes any user session
# started by GDM to exit immediately while USR1 behaves like
# reload and will wait until all users log out before
# restarting GDM.
#
# For full reference documentation see the GNOME help browser under
# GNOME|System category. You can also find the docs in HTML form on
# http://www.gnome.org/projects/gdm/
#
# NOTE: Some values are commented out, but show their default values. Lines
# that begin with "#" are considered comments.
#
# Have fun!

[daemon]
# Automatic login, if true the first attached screen will automatically logged
# in as user as set with AutomaticLogin key.
AutomaticLoginEnable=false
AutomaticLogin=

# Timed login, useful for kiosks. Log in a certain user after a certain amount
# of time.
TimedLoginEnable=false
TimedLogin=
TimedLoginDelay=30

# The GDM configuration program that is run from the login screen, you should
# probably leave this alone.
#Configurator=/usr/sbin/gdmsetup --disable-sound --disable-crash-dialog

# The chooser program. Must output the chosen host on stdout, probably you
# should leave this alone.
#Chooser=/usr/lib/gdm/gdmchooser

# The greeter for attached (non-xdmcp) logins. Change gdmlogin to gdmgreeter
# to get the new graphical greeter.
Greeter=/usr/lib/gdm/gdmgreeter

# The greeter for xdmcp logins, usually you want a less graphically intensive
# greeter here so it's better to leave this with gdmlogin
#RemoteGreeter=/usr/lib/gdm/gdmlogin

# Launch the greeter with an additional list of colon separated GTK+ modules.
# This is useful for enablin...

Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

This bug is really ruining the karmic testing experience. Is it possible to go back to previous gdm until this is worked out upstream? Example like firefox 3-5 not being default until its ready. Thanks

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

Dave, your gdm.conf does not actually have autologin:

AutomaticLoginEnable=false
AutomaticLogin=

# Timed login, useful for kiosks. Log in a certain user after a certain amount
# of time.
TimedLoginEnable=false
TimedLogin=
TimedLoginDelay=30

Where did you enable autologin before?

Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

I used the login window utility from system/administration/login window. This is not here anymore.I have now gone into all of gdm conf. AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin=bigdavesr files # Timed login, useful for kiosks. Log in a certain user after a certain amount
# of time.
TimedLoginEnable=true
TimedLogin=bigdavesr
TimedLoginDelay=10 They all look like above now. They still dont work. thanks

Revision history for this message
dougfractal (dougs-b) wrote :

My vanilla install of karmic, didn't autologin, but this worked for me

echo "
[deamon]
AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin=$(whoami)
DefaultSession=gnome.desktop" | sudo tee -a /etc/gdm/custom.conf

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

Hello Dave,

Dave Stroud [2009-07-13 11:19 -0000]:
> I used the login window utility from system/administration/login
> window. This is not here anymore.

Indeed, there's a separate bug for that. Robert Ancell wants to look
into writing a replacement.

> I have now gone into all of gdm conf. AutomaticLoginEnable=true
> AutomaticLogin=bigdavesr files # Timed login, useful for kiosks. Log in a certain user after a certain amount
> # of time.
> TimedLoginEnable=true
> TimedLogin=bigdavesr
> TimedLoginDelay=10 They all look like above now. They still dont work. thanks

They need to be in custom.conf now (which is what above migration code
does).

Revision history for this message
Steve Langasek (vorlon) wrote :

ubiquity 1.99.0 was uploaded yesterday, so I guess it includes the user-setup fix; marking as resolved, please reopen if this is incorrect.

Changed in ubiquity (Ubuntu Karmic):
status: Fix Committed → Fix Released
Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

I still have o auto login. Am uo date. Gdm custom conf. is correct.# GDM configuration storage

[xdmcp]

[chooser]

[security]

[debug]

[deamon]
# Automatic login, if true the first attached screen will automatically logged
# in as user as set with AutomaticLogin key.
AutomaticLoginEnable=true
AutomaticLogin=bigdavesr

# Timed login, useful for kiosks. Log in a certain user after a certain amount
# of time.
TimedLoginEnable=true
TimedLogin=bigdavesr
TimedLoginDelay=10

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

> [deamon]

It should work if you fix this to be "[daemon]" ?

Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

On 07/19/2009 08:05 AM, Martin Pitt wrote:
>> [deamon]
>>
> It should work if you fix this to be "[daemon]" ?
>
>
Martin you have a better eye than I do. I dont know how many times I
have pored over this and not seen that before. It was correct in
everything but custom conf. I changed and rebooted and I had auto login.
Thaanks for your patience.Thanks for caring.

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

Hello Dave,

Dave Stroud [2009-07-19 17:30 -0000]:
> I changed and rebooted and I had auto login.

Great, thanks for bearing with me. So, I believe I fixed your original
bug of not transitioning the settings from gdm.conf to custom.conf in
the current version, so it should be okay now for jaunty->current
karmic upgrades. This just couldn't work for you, because you (as per
my debugging instructions) already manually moved the settings across
before the fixed version.

Did I still miss anything?

Thanks!

Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

On 07/19/2009 12:42 PM, Martin Pitt wrote:
> Hello Dave,
>
> Dave Stroud [2009-07-19 17:30 -0000]:
>
>> I changed and rebooted and I had auto login.
>>
> Great, thanks for bearing with me. So, I believe I fixed your original
> bug of not transitioning the settings from gdm.conf to custom.conf in
> the current version, so it should be okay now for jaunty->current
> karmic upgrades. This just couldn't work for you, because you (as per
> my debugging instructions) already manually moved the settings across
> before the fixed version.
>
> Did I still miss anything?
>
> Thanks!
>
>
I tried logging out and did not get a login window it just logged and
and right back in. Maybe timed log in is not yet working. I can live
with that because I am only one who uses my computer. Thanks again

Revision history for this message
Martin Pitt (pitti) wrote :

Dave Stroud [2009-07-19 17:58 -0000]:
> I tried logging out and did not get a login window it just logged and
> and right back in. Maybe timed log in is not yet working. I can live
> with that because I am only one who uses my computer. Thanks again

Right, that's another known problem with the new gdm. Working on it.

Revision history for this message
Dave Stroud (bigdavesr) wrote :

On 07/19/2009 03:06 PM, Martin Pitt wrote:
> Dave Stroud [2009-07-19 17:58 -0000]:
>
>> I tried logging out and did not get a login window it just logged and
>> and right back in. Maybe timed log in is not yet working. I can live
>> with that because I am only one who uses my computer. Thanks again
>>
> Right, that's another known problem with the new gdm. Working on it.
>
>
I thought that might be the case. thanks

Revision history for this message
Christian Stöveken (excogitation) wrote :

Using system/administration/login window does work for me.

There's still system/administration/user accounts
(which does not start unless you reinstall gnome-system-tools or run users-admin from a console -> #425453)
with a greyed out checkbox and "Don't ask for password on login"
line on the first tab of a user account's settings window.

Revision history for this message
Nikola Kovacs (nx) wrote :

Click manage groups and add a group called "nopasswdlogin". After that it won't be greyed out.
I had to look through the source code to figure this out. The nopasswdlogin group should be created by default IMHO.

Revision history for this message
Daniel Ellis (danellisuk) wrote :

Thank you Nikola for your effort with determining why "Don't ask for password on login" was greyed out. I tried your solution of creating the "nopasswdlogin" group and it did indeed allow that option to be selected. However, upon restarting, the users that I selected still had to enter their password at the GM login screen.

I eventually found a different resolution at ubuntu forums http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=12777&page=2. The thread is very old but the solution still works with Karmic. The only difference is to change the location of /etc/X11/gdm/nopassusers.txt to /etc/gdm/nopassusers.txt

Revision history for this message
lumbricus (lumbricus) wrote :

Why creating the user group "nopasswdlogin" is not enough is discussed here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gdm/+bug/396459

In #20 I posted how to fix it for Karmic.

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