Idea #3187: Direct login to a stripped down generic user instead stop to GDM

This idea is a duplicate of idea #1474: Guest account.

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Written by LucaCappelletti the 4 Mar 08 at 22:09. Category: Accessibility.
Related to: Nothing/Others. Status: New

Description

Use a generic locked down desktop user instead gdm to provide minimal desktop facilities.
Into this locked down user you can find just a minimal menu to play against few services like web browser, multimedia player, some dashboard style information services.

This user cannot read and write from mounted system disk.
Can use the network only in "kiosk" mode.
Can read and write to a usb key mounted after autologin.

When you need to login into your real user use the switch user login applet and go to real login.

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There is a big problem when home users start to boot a ubuntu pc: why they have to stop to a cryptic login manager when they could play direct to a Desktop and then choose if they need to close to their private area?

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Comments

AndrewC wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 01:36

It's wasteful resource-wise to load a GNOME desktop just to use the switch users applet, which will run load GDM and yet another instance of GNOME.

Plus, Ubuntu's GDM theme is hardly cryptic. It's no more complicated than what Windows or Mac OS offers. I think figuring out how to use fast user switching is even more complicated than a simple login manager.

A lot of new users would probably just share the guest account instead of making real accounts for themselves, which would pose a privacy/security issue just like on Windows.

LucaCappelletti wrote on the 5 Mar 08 at 15:15

I mean load only very few resources.
Only Nautilus to draw background.
A mini menu applet to provide minimal resources.
A switch user applet to do the login to you real user.

Eldmannen wrote on the 13 Mar 08 at 01:13

You can do this already by creating a new accounts, and don't let it have any privileges.

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