Booting and login - why are users not logged in automatically?

Didier Roche didrocks at ubuntu.com
Wed Mar 24 16:10:34 UTC 2010


Le mercredi 24 mars 2010 à 10:20 -0400, Phillip Susi a écrit :
> On 3/24/2010 10:13 AM, Alan Pope wrote:
> > That still wont guarantee access to user files. If you use ecryptfs
> > (the default encryption system for /home on Ubuntu live CDs) then even
> > having physical access won't give you immediate access to files in the
> > user home directory.
> 
> I didn't think auto logon was an option if you were using encryption...
> at least it's a very bad idea since it defeats the purpose of encryption
> in the first place.  Most people don't use that though, so...
> 

There is only 3 cases (if you think about home encrypted directory
covered in ubuntu installation, not other stuff like entirely encrypted
partition as it assumes you will have to enter a passord in any case, so
out of scope):
- no autologin and no encrypted home: default desktop, makes sense. But
if someone has a physical access to your machine, you're screwed.
- autologin and no encrypted home: case of default ubuntu netbook
installation. Well, you're also screwed as in case #1 if someone has a
physical access to the machine.
- no autologin and encrypted home: you're safe. Maybe should be the
default on netbook? Too late for changing that in lucid in my opinion.
Can be discussed for +1

autologin and encrypted home: epic fail. Don't work as the password is
used to decrypted home with ecryptfs. :)
I'll add a check in the following days in gdmsetup to avoid setting an
user using encrypted home as default.

Didier





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