f-u-s-a always show "Switch User" if more than 15 users

[Thomas NOEL]

Binary package hint: fast-user-switch-applet

Jaunty problem...

All my computers use a libnss-mysql authenfication system, with more than 2000 users.

For some reason, I don't want to display the "Switch User" menu in f-u-s-a (it confuses my users... don't ask me why).

If I set "/apps/fast-user-switch-applet/show_screen_item = never", it doesn't work, because f-u-s-a always show "Switch User" when there is more than 15 users.

So please apply this little patch :
https://code.launchpad.net/~thomas-noel/fast-user-switch-applet/never-even-max-users/+merge/6229

With this patch, the "never" choice always take precedence, even if there is more than 15 users.

Thanks !

[Chris Coulson (chrisccoulson)]

2009/5/8 Thomas NOEL <email address hidden>

> ** Branch linked: lp:~thomas-noel/fast-user-switch-applet/ubuntu-
> packaging-jaunty
>
> --
> f-u-s-a always show "Switch User" if more than 15 users
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/372493
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to fast-
> user-switch-applet in ubuntu.
>
> Status in “fast-user-switch-applet” source package in Ubuntu: New
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: fast-user-switch-applet
>
> Jaunty problem...
>
> All my computers use a libnss-mysql authenfication system, with more than
> 2000 users.
>
> For some reason, I don't want to display the "Switch User" menu in f-u-s-a
> (it confuses my users... don't ask me why).
>
> If I set "/apps/fast-user-switch-applet/show_screen_item = never", it
> doesn't work, because f-u-s-a always show "Switch User" when there is more
> than 15 users.
>
> So please apply this little patch :
>
> https://code.launchpad.net/~thomas-noel/fast-user-switch-applet/never-even-max-users/+merge/6229<https://code.launchpad.net/%7Ethomas-noel/fast-user-switch-applet/never-even-max-users/+merge/6229>
>
> With this patch, the "never" choice always take precedence, even if there
> is more than 15 users.
>
> Thanks !
>

I don't understand why this patch is a good idea for most users. Am I right
in understanding that if you set
"/apps/fast-user-switch-applet/show_screen_item
= never", then the "Switch User" option does not even display when there are
more than 15 users? If that's the case, then how does one switch user when
there are more than 15 users? That sort-of completely defeats the purpose of
the f-u-s-a if that is the case, and I think your use case is quite unusual
(wanting to permanently hide the "Switch User" option because it confuses
your users). If you don't want to see that option and you have more than 15
users, you would be better off just not using the applet at all.

Regards
Chris

[Thomas NOEL (thomas-noel)]

Hello,

Thank you for responding so quickly.

Le 08 mai 2009 à 09h06, Chris Coulson a écrit :
> I don't understand why this patch is a good idea for most users. Am I right
> in understanding that if you set
> "/apps/fast-user-switch-applet/show_screen_item
> = never", then the "Switch User" option does not even display when there are
> more than 15 users? If that's the case, then how does one switch user when
> there are more than 15 users? That sort-of completely defeats the purpose of
> the f-u-s-a if that is the case, and I think your use case is quite unusual
> (wanting to permanently hide the "Switch User" option because it confuses
> your users). If you don't want to see that option and you have more than 15
> users, you would be better off just not using the applet at all.

Ok... I understand.

But you'd be surprised to see the percentage of people who choose "switch
user" to make way for the next user in a room with public computers ;)

If I stop using f-u-s-a, there is a disconnect choice in the System menu.
But when I click on it, it proposed me "disconnected" or "swith user" !...
It is even worse. It is very disturbing for users, who can not always
understand the difference between these two choices.

I continue to believe that Ubuntu Jaunty lacks a simple way to disable the
"switch user" feature. GConf /desktop/gnome/lockdown/disable_user_switching
completely hide f-u-s-a : after that, there is no way to disconnect from the
machine, no button ...

Finally, the problem is that fusa has a bad name :) This applet can also
disconnect, turn off the computer, reboot, which shows the presence, etc..

I will continue to use my own patched version of fusa, because my users
really like the presence feature.

Thanks,
--
Thomas NOEL <email address hidden> http://www.auf.org/
Coordinateur des infrastructures techniques
Administration des ressources informatiques
Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)

[Jean Christophe André (progfou)]

I also think that f-u-s-a is either misnamed or overdoing.

Currently it manages presence, user switching and session ending. Because of this, it's becoming a very useful applet and people are interested in using it, of course. Also, it seems to me that it could become the de-facto standard in the GNOME desktop environment.

So it sounds logical to allow people, especially technical ones (doing the deployment), to get full control of what we can do with it. And currently we don't have a full control on it: we lack the ability to fully disable one of the 3 functions of f-u-s-a.

About ou "use case [...] quite unusual" and "it confuses your users", I can tell you it really _does_ confuse people, whatever the culture difference, as much in Asia (where I work) as in Africa (where Thomas work).

On my side, I simply can't understand how this patch would harm anybody? But it would help us a lot, and probably others too, for sure!

If you can't afford changing the meaning of "never" then please add some "never-ever" (or whatever) value to allow us fulfill our needs.

TIA, J.C.

[Thomas NOEL (thomas-noel)]

What about a patch where /desktop/gnome/lockdown/disable_user_switching=true
only disable the "switch" part of f-u-s-a (and not f-u-s-a itself, as a whole) ?

Do you think it's a good idea ? I can try to code it.

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

This package has been removed from Ubuntu. Closing all related bugs.