Xfce Forum

rayandrews

Member

From: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Registered: 2011-12-30

Posts: 217

auto login

Can I auto login?  I'm not sure this is even xfce's issue, but maybe it is.  Debian forum suggests the needed thing is to change '/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf':

[Seat:*]
autologin-user=root
autologin-user-timeout=0

... but that doesn't work.

Edit:

No, it's not xfce's problem, but for the benefit of anyone with the same issue in Debian 11 using 'lightdm' (running xfce or not!) :

in '/etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf' add these three lines:

autologin-guest=false
autologin-user=root
autologin-user-timeout=0

... in '/etc/pam.d/lightdm.autologin' find and comment this line like so:

#auth      required pam_succeed_if.so user != root quiet_success

... whatever else might work, the above does.  If it can be improved, let the world know!

Last edited by rayandrews (2022-10-03 14:21:04)

CwF

Moderator

Registered: 2018-01-28

Posts: 319

Re: auto login

I believe the section is [SeatDefaults} and not what you listed.
It is not a great idea to use root. XFCE under Debian has effective polkit action to make the use of root mute.

I don't use any Lightdm or other manager with systemd autologin, a little different set up to autologin a particular user on a particular tty, necessitating  a switch to the tty. tty1 I reserve for a root logon if needed. A root desktop does work fine under XFCE, except audio needs mods.

Create a proper user and enable pkexec for xfce4-terminal, mousepad and thunar, and you will have full power.

rayandrews

Member

From: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Registered: 2011-12-30

Posts: 217

Re: auto login

"I believe the section is [SeatDefaults}"

On my machine it is " [Seat:*] ".  All I can say is that the above works.

As to using root, I've done nothing else for a decade without any trouble, except one image got downloaded without permission.  I intend to mend my ways and start using a normal user tho, but for now I'm installing and configuring a new OS so virtually everything I'm doing requires root.

"Create a proper user and enable pkexec for xfce4-terminal, mousepad and thunar, and you will have full power."

Full power?  Please elaborate.  Right now I need 'root' power, but if there's another way ...  I don't know what 'polkit' is, but just so long as I can get my work done setting this system up, I'm all ears.

CwF

Moderator

Registered: 2018-01-28

Posts: 319

Re: auto login

"I believe the section is [SeatDefaults}"

On my machine it is " [Seat:*] ".  All I can say is that the above works.

There are two sections as I remember, I mention a section under [SeatDefaults] while you are referencing a section under [LightDM}. Check again, I might remember wrong, but I used it for a long time and only changed one line.

Full power?  Please elaborate.  Right now I need 'root' power, but if there's another way ...  I don't know what 'polkit' is, but just so long as I can get my work done setting this system up, I'm all ears.

Full power is simply that. It is not needed to log in as root when an enabled user can invoke root with pkexec(polkit). On many systems I have also eliminated sudo. Root is a right click away on my user desktop.

Perhaps a separate thread (Debian-Polkit-XFCE) when you're ready. The syntax for Debian is not the same as Arch.

Systemd autologon is an option if you can manage to pull out LightDM. That needs dissembling any meta packages, another thread maybe...

rayandrews

Member

From: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Registered: 2011-12-30

Posts: 217

Re: auto login

"I mention a section under [SeatDefaults]"

Not here.  No such section.  String does not exist in the file.

"when an enabled user can invoke root with pkexec(polkit)"

I'll research that, thanks.  For now I have my auto login and I'm happy.  I musta rebooted 50 times yesterday, it saves a few keystrokes.