usability: unlocking screen resp. login screen

[Steven Harms]

Markus,

"Unlocking Screen Saver" is definitely a usability issue, and I agree 100%
with your point.  "Login Screen" is actually an aesthetics choice more or
less, since the individual gdm theme determines if users are listed.  That
might be something to bring up on ubuntu-art?

Steven Harms

On 10/4/06, Markus Lutzer <m.lutzer at gmx.de> wrote:
>
> Dear developers,
> in the following I formulated some suggestions for Ubuntu with usability
> in mind:
>
> Unlocking screen saver:
> -----------------------
> Currently my Ubuntu system asks me for my password when I come back
> after a while to unlock the screen saver. This is alright for a single
> user system but if another user wants to use the system while the first
> has locked the screen the usability is too much complicated: At the
> password prompt the user has to press a button to change user, then the
> user has to select its user name from a list of available users,
> afterwards he is confronted with the default login screen where the user
> has to enter its user name a second time (!) and then his/her password.
> Windows solved this issue much more user friendly: The user is
> confronted with one login screen only (and not with three different
> ones) whatever the user wants to log in the first time, unlock the
> screen saver or log in a second time resp. changing the user. Why not to
> follow this approach which has a much better usability?
>
> Login screen:
> -------------
> The above does not require to replace the current default login screen
> with a login screen allowing to select a user from a list but I would
> recommend this additionally. It would be much more comfortable for the
> average user to have a list of available users ("aeh, ouh! What was my
> user name anyway?") because
> (1) she/he has an overview which users are already registered and can
> choose one,
> (2) she/he can not forget his/her user name,
> (3) it avoids typos, allows to use the system more quickly and
> (4) is more similar to Windows which many users know already.
>
> The security implications are minor because
> (1) security should depend on the password, not on the user name (Shall
> I choose a strong user name and not a simple one??!),
> (2) accessing an Ubuntu system with an active screen saver shows me all
> available users anyway,
> (3) the user name can often be guessed easily and
> (4) usages with high security requirements need to configure Ubuntu
> anyway but not the average desktop user for who a user list is
> sufficient secure.
>
> I would be glad if you are interested in my suggestions and reply with
> your ideas.
>
> Markus
>
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>
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