How to login as guest?

qwertynoob · 2024-07-17 10:43:38

I know such a feature exists, but I have no idea how to make it work, can someone assist me here?

PS. Also, I can't log out properly, the system just hangs.

Last edited by qwertynoob (2024-07-17 10:49:12)

Bearded_Blunder · 2024-07-17 14:49:45

I don't believe guest login is supported, maybe @johnraff or someone will correct me.

Not sure it can be done without working around this bug. Or maybe switching to gdm3 instead of lightdm.

Guest logins have always been a vector for security problems, I'm not entirely sure anyone's going to spend much effort opening that attack vector, lightdm's maintainer doesn't seem interested.

The issue logging out is more interesting.

Do you get any error messages when trying to log out? Google isn't finding me much of use without more info to narrow it down.

Is there anything unusual about your system? Added updated kernel? Drivers not from Debian? Anything else not from Debian?

If you've made any changes to lightdm's settings trying to enable guest login, I suggest reverting those as step one.

Last edited by Bearded_Blunder (2024-07-17 16:09:42)

qwertynoob · 2024-07-17 16:43:04

Thanks so much for correcting my misapprehension.

I don't get any error messages, the system just freezes.

Bearded_Blunder · 2024-07-17 16:57:21

Anything in ~/.xsession-errors that might give a clue?

If you open a terminal & issue:

systemctl terminate-session

Does that give any clues? (Since that's the command the exit dialogue uses behind the scenes).

Is it only logging out? Or does it also freeze shutting down or rebooting?

Last edited by Bearded_Blunder (2024-07-17 17:04:35)

johnraff · 2024-07-21 05:45:35

This is the first time I've heard of the concept of "guest logins" to be honest. Is the idea that anyone can start using an account belonging to a user (eg) "jim", read and write to all jim's files, run processes as jim, without entering a password? As B_B says, it doesn't sound too safe.

It could be that sometimes people set up special "public console" sessions with restricted rights, eg run a web browser only. That might be doable, probably best on a dedicated computer with no normal user accounts.

Bearded_Blunder · 2024-07-21 05:57:44

@johnraff, as it's usually done, a limited (non-sudo) account named "guest" gets created at login, & destroyed including delete home when logging out, even so there's some security risk, privilege escalation & similar, anyhow lightdm's options for it don't work on Debian, because of the previously mentioned bug, either fixing that, or switching DM would be called for at minimum.

I'm a bit behind, but bl-user-setup didn't used to work without lightdm calling it, which would also cause issues enabling guest login if it's still the case.

johnraff · 2024-07-21 06:22:18

bl-user-setup is no longer called by lightdm - it's part of the regular user session. I think someone wanting a guest login would want to customize the config files anyway. I still think a dedicated machine would be best, going straight to the "guest" desktop with no need for a DM. I'm sure it could be done, but anyone wanting to do it on a BL base would be pretty much on their own.

Bearded_Blunder · 2024-07-21 06:54:35

Indeed, probably a custom skel in addition, it'd be a lot of faff to set up well Bunsen base or otherwise, & it's pretty much always lots of manual intervention from the sysadmin, custom configs, generally a custom restrictive set of groups.. yuk.

It's the passwordless aspect that's the problem with it working at all, & why it's non-functional using lightdm & Debian, if ArchLabs were still a thing I might have suggested that, since the Arch Wiki has a page on how to do guest logins. It'd have been a similar experience from the guest user's perspective.

I'm afraid I've neither the time nor real interest to experiment seeing if switching DM would actually work for the OP, but since the bug was filed against lightdm it may well, especially since bl-user-setup doesn't get called from lightdm anymore, but don't ask me how to configure a different DM for it.

johnraff · 2024-07-21 07:27:45

I think "kiosk mode" is the term I was trying to remember.
But sorry @qwertynoob I'm afraid I'm with B_B on the time + interest factor on this.

Hope you get your logout freeze sorted out though.

johnraff · 2024-07-24 07:18:42

Debian Bug Report on guest logins with lightdm:
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugrepo … bug=661230

Bearded_Blunder · 2024-07-24 07:24:04

Same one I linked in post #2

JasonMehmel · 2024-07-24 17:58:01

I can't tell what the initial issue was (I think the initial post may have edited it out) but is there any value in using a Boron-loaded bootable USB?

That basically has a 'guest' session so that folks can try out BL, and so maybe it would allow the approach that they're looking for?

Bearded_Blunder · 2024-07-24 18:11:54

JasonMehmel wrote:

I can't tell what the initial issue was (I think the initial post may have edited it out) but is there any value in using a Boron-loaded bootable USB?
That basically has a 'guest' session so that folks can try out BL, and so maybe it would allow the approach that they're looking for?

At some risk, the live user has sudo can mount other partitions & basically wreak havoc if untrustworthy or even just error prone.

johnraff · 2024-07-25 01:24:03

johnraff wrote:

Debian Bug Report on guest logins with lightdm

Bearded_Blunder wrote:

Same one I linked in post #2

Ah... yes indeed.
My only feeble defence is that the link's title was "this bug", so a quick scroll though the thread wouldn't have shown what it actually was, without at least hovering to see the URL.

#1 2024-07-17 10:43:38

How to login as guest?

#2 2024-07-17 14:49:45

Re: How to login as guest?

#3 2024-07-17 16:43:04

Re: How to login as guest?

#4 2024-07-17 16:57:21

Re: How to login as guest?

#5 2024-07-21 05:45:35

Re: How to login as guest?

#6 2024-07-21 05:57:44

Re: How to login as guest?

#7 2024-07-21 06:22:18

Re: How to login as guest?

#8 2024-07-21 06:54:35

Re: How to login as guest?

#9 2024-07-21 07:27:45

Re: How to login as guest?

#10 2024-07-24 07:18:42

Re: How to login as guest?

#11 2024-07-24 07:24:04

Re: How to login as guest?

#12 2024-07-24 17:58:01

Re: How to login as guest?

#13 2024-07-24 18:11:54

Re: How to login as guest?

#14 2024-07-25 01:24:03

Re: How to login as guest?

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