2.6 debian install, boot with no password

When we are on the subject of logging on with a password......

Is there a way to make it accept NOT to have a password? With Ubuntu 10.04 which I'm running now (due to my touch screen not working in the new Debian version) it's possible to not set a password and make it log on automatically. But I wasn't able to figure out how with Debian.

The reason is simple, I plan on using this with a touch screen only. And I want everything to come up like it did when I had the original controller, just press the e-stop button, machine on and you are ready to go. This is the only thing that computer will be doing, and I'm the only one who will be using it. As it is now it's only an annoyance and inconvenience!

It's also making it look more like windose 8.1 with it's totally annoying "feature" that you _have_ to use your windows live user name and password to log on to your computer. And to top that up, if you don't have a windows live user you have to make one first....... even though you don't want it. I bought a tablet with it on once..... and had to call M$ for support on how to remove this "feature".
Now I have to ask you guys who know Linux about the same thing. How do I override a "feature" the designers don't accept me not wanting. There should be an option during installation to hook of for "log this computer on automatically without asking for password". When I think of it I think that might be how it was on Ubuntu 10.04, or do I remember it wrong?
With our use this is a natural thing to want!

Sorry for rambling along on this, and for stealing this thread... but problems like this would be possible to avoid by providing the possibility to do what I as for in this "feature request".

Anders

Anders ,
the Hybrid iso uses Lightdm as it's desktop to change this to autologin you need to modify the file lightdm.conf
this file is located at /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

find the lines
[SeatDefaults]
#autologin-user=
#autologin-user-timeout=0
uncomment these 2 lines and modify autologin-user= to the username you wish to log in as

you will need administrator rights to edit this file

The problem with this is that LinuxCNC is many user's first meeting whit Linux. And much like the windose approach mentioned in my last post the possibility to make a change like this is way to well hidden (as in hard to find if you don't know what you are looking for and don't know how to even search for it). In particular to the ones who need it the most, first time users.

I'm afraid a feature request like this wouldn't be recognized as valid in normal Linux communities as a beginner user is considered to need to figure out how to deal with this. But for LinuxCNC there is a special need. Users of this particular software isn't installing Linux as a function of it's value as an alternative OS to windose. The reason is that they don't have a choice in the matter as the only alternative is Mach3 if they insist on keeping windose as their OS. I know why, and have fully accepted that..... no discussion there.

I think I remember this being a standard option on Ubuntu, which is a distro made with new users in mind. From what I understand Debian isn't trying that hard to catch newcomers, and therefore haven't put as much effort in to things like this. I appreciate this and can understand why. But here we have a situation where newcomers don't really have an option to choose what distro to use, and are stuck with the one chosen by you guys who are developing the software. And I understand Debian could be considered better and more suited for many reasons. My point is that I'm trying to highlight a problem only experienced by newcomers, and are not that easily seen by experienced users and developers.

I have to admit I'm one of those users with an extensive number of computers in all shapes and forms. But the only ones with Linux on them are the one I'm using for LinuxCNC. And unfortunately I don't foresee a change in that in the future. I won't go in to that here as this isn't the place for this. Here it's only meant to highlight the fact that most sides of Linux is kind of unknown territory to many users, as it was for me when I started using LinuxCNC as well.

Don't get me wrong, installing LinuxCNC now is a breeze compared to what it was like when you had to compile everything yourself and what not.

The problem is, this user configuration and password setup is so native to you Linux gurus you don't even think of it as a problem. Hence my plea to you here now, please, if it is possible to implement in future installation ISO files: Please add/allow the option to make the computer log on automatically during install as an easily accessible option. It will be one of those things that makes it a little more accessible to us users that haven't converted to LinuxCNC and don't plan on doing so for all our other computer needs. And it will most definitely save plenty of new users frustrations during the first stages. To many frustrations at this stage will turn users to other solutions, which isn't a good thing.

Anders

I think I remember this being a standard option on Ubuntu,

It was, if you used the default gnome desktop ( which was grim and slow )

The problem (and blessing) regards Debian, is that they are not tied to a particular window manager / display manager and you can choose from several.
The default one on the debian.hybrid.iso is awful and I immediately changed it and also removed all the xfce stuff too.

All the window managers / desktops will allow auto log in, but the conf files to edit and the exact method of doing so vary.
I can see where you are coming from, albeit I am one of those who does not see it as a problem, just the freedom to customise it all to suit the user.

I personally don't feel it necessary to evangelise the benefits of Linuxcnc over Mach.
If the user switches to a free OS and a free CNC system, they need to be prepared to put a little effort in and not expect everything to be the same as windose.

IIRC one of the questions asked during the install of Debian was something about auto log in... which I answered yes to.

I think JT is correct, but as I never choose that option I cannot be sure.
The problem often is only realising that it would be handy to do so later and then having to find out how to implement it post install.

Mr Google always knows, you just have to sift through a bit of detritus on the road to enlightenment

regards

Hi

The delay is due to my having to do a new install of the debian.hybrid.iso to refresh my memory about what happens and what you get.

There is no option to have auto log in

There is no option to test the keyboard (not with my keyboard choice anyway)

The default desktop manager / window manager is xfce4.
I hate this, clunky, slow, poor resolution icons, cluttered desktop with icons for every drive and device all over it, looks too much like the awful gnome desktops in ubuntu.

I use lxde

You need to do an apt-get update before it appears as an option though
Install it, then remove every vestige of xfce.

You get a plain window to which you can add a background graphic, and a single taskbar at the bottom of the screen which renders as soon as it starts.

It is all personal choice, other people probably hate it

Thanks for confirming this.

I for one think the idea of changing window manager is somewhat scary. As a windows user this is something I'm not used to, simply because there is no option to do anything like this in windose.

Anyway, you also confirmed there is no way the user who started the first thread about not being able to log in to his new installation didn't do what he was supposed to do. And in fact there was nothing he was able to do to prevent the problem.
So this in itself warrant a change in the installation setup. To not have the possibility to verify what keyboard is configured isn't good.
I always have to change it as Norwegian keyboards aren't recognized. Luckily it's almost the same as US keyboard layout as far as the letters, except Norwegian keyboards have 3 extra letters (æ, ø and å). I know not to use them for passwords as they have a tendency to mess things up.
But the signs and other characters are pretty much redistributed, so it's not really ok to not being able to change keyboard.
I don't remember having problems with this when installing last time though. I will have to do it again to verify.

The question is how much effort a change like this requires. And if it's not a tedious and time consuming issue I would hope it can be improved in the next ISO.

2.6.4 ISO have just been released. I don't expect this to have been fixed in that. But I hope it can be looked at for a future release.

Anders