Can't switch user from a locked screen (no gdmflexiserver binary in $PATH)

[Chris Coulson]

It is not possible to switch user from the gnome-screensaver lock dialog when using lightdm. Although lightdm provides its own gdmflexiserver implementation, it's not in the default $PATH, so gnome-screensaver doesn't find it and hides the option to switch user.

Apparently, this was meant to be worked around by adding /usr/lib/lightdm to the default $PATH:

<seb128> mterry, hey
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<seb128> mterry, do you have time for a lightdm bug today? ;-)
<mterry> seb128, sure
<seb128> mterry, the gdmflexiserver path hack still doesn't work...
 mterry, that breaks user switching on the lock screen
<mterry> seb128, guh
 seb128, bug number?
<seb128> I knew you were going to love that :p
 mterry, it was IRC reported but I can file a bug if you want
 let me check if there is one
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<mterry> seb128, so to reproduce, I lock my screen and try to switch users?
<seb128> mterry, well basically you uninstall gdm or move its gdmflexiserver away, (restart gnome-screensaver?), then try to lock your screen
 mterry, you should get no "switch user" button
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<seb128> mterry, the code is basically looking if gdmflexiserver is in the path, but it's not
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<mterry> seb128, this is without lightdm?
<seb128> mterry, no, that's with lightdm
* mterry wonders why gdmflexiserver isn't in the path
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<seb128> mterry, because lightdm install it in /usr/lib/lightdm and your path hack seems to not work (my guess)
 mterry, remember you added code to add /usr/lib/lightdm to the PATH
 which is somewhat hackish ;-)
<mterry> seb128, I remember. But it was working...
<seb128> well doing a "strings /proc/$(pidof gnome-session)/environ | grep PATH" shows it's not in the path
 mterry, yeah, I blame it on robert_ancell he probably broke it :p

[Martin Pitt (pitti)]

lightdm (1.0.1-0ubuntu3) oneiric; urgency=low

  * debian/patches/05_gdmflexiserver_not_in_PATH.patch:
    - Make sure to insert our own utility path into PATH after PAM
      sets PATH, not before. This ensures gdmflexiserver is present
      in PATH and can be found by gnome-screensaver, gnome-shell, etc.

 -- Michael Terry <email address hidden> Wed, 05 Oct 2011 09:05:31 -0400