gdmsetup allows autologin even when home directories are encrypted

[Tobin Davis]

Binary package hint: gdm

GDMSetup should not allow autologin when home directory is encrypted. What happens is the login goes through and the desktop tries to load before the encrypted home directory is mounted, resulting in app crashes. The end result, at least on UNR, is the user is left staring at a blank screen with a mouse cursor and default background. The only way to correct this is to press the power button and select logout when the power control dialog pops up.

Steps to reproduce:
During a fresh install of UNR (may occur with desktop as well), select login with encrypted home directory when adding user information.

reboot after install completes, and set passphrase for directory encryption after logging in for the first time.

Open GDMSetup (System->Login Screen) and unlock it. Set autologin to enabled, no delay for other users.

Reboot and watch the show.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: i386
Date: Thu Oct 8 14:47:44 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
Package: gdm 2.28.0-0ubuntu8
ProcEnviron:
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-11.36-generic
SourcePackage: gdm
Tags: ubuntu-unr
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-11-generic i686

[philipp beitz (philippbeitz)]

If you are affected you can edit /etc/gdm/gdm.conf-custom and set parameter "AutomaticLoginEnable=false". After reboot Ubuntu is usable again.

[Steinar Myrvang (steinar79)]

Another way to get around this bug is really:
CTR + ALT + F1
Login with your username and password
sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

You will autologin again, but your home directory is now decrypted because you have entered the password.

[Felix Zweig (f.zweig)]

This is a duplicate of bug 353446.

[Flames_in_Paradise (ellisistfroh-deactivatedaccount)]

Thanks for the hint Steinar, I do not think that this is a bug, because you still need your login-PW to automatically unwrap the login-passphrase. So encryption is not broken.

If one at this stage creates a newuser with 'adduser' in tty1 put him as standardlogin the crab is in the box.

From within the newuser-identity, switch-user is easy, then he/she can deactivate the f***ing 'auto-login'

Anyone new to Ubunutu suffering from this should refer to local Ubuntu-Forum for assistance, if not experienced on command line.