From: nospam@needed.invalid   
      
   On Fri, 12/26/2025 11:23 AM, Handsome Jack wrote:   
   > On Tue, 23 Dec 2025 20:25:23 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:   
   >   
   >> On Tue, 23 Dec 2025 12:27:29 -0000 (UTC), Handsome Jack wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> I already have autologin-user=jack in the lightdm.conf file; you can do   
   >>> that via the graphical settings manager -> login window -> users and   
   >>> ticking Automatic login and entering 'jack'.   
   >>> But it doesn't work on the Surface machine. I still get asked for   
   >>> username and pw. Moreover this login screen doesn't look anything like   
   >>> the 'normal'   
   >>> LM login screen I get on my desktop machine.   
   >>   
   >> Maybe you’re not running lightdm as your display manager.   
   >   
   > Maybe not. inxi -F returns   
   > {   
   > Host: jack-Surface-Pro Kernel: 6.17.1-surface-2 arch: x86_64 bits: 64   
   > Desktop: Xfce v: 239.871.768 Distro: Linux Mint 22.2 Zara   
   > [snip]   
   > Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 21.1.1 with:Xwayland v:23.26 driver: X-   
   > loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev, vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 resolution:   
   > 2736x1824~60Hz   
   > [snip a load more seemingly irrelevant stuff about audio etc].   
   > }   
   >   
   > Also, systemctl status display-manager returns   
   > {   
   > * sddm.service - Simple Desktop Display Manager   
   > 	Loaded: loaded (usr/lib/systemd/system/sddm.service; enabled;   
   > preset: enabled)   
   > 	Active: active (running) since Wed 2025-12-24 10:46:14 GMT; X min   
   > ago   
   > then reams of stuff about docs, process, PID, tasks, memory ... ending in   
   > 	jack-Surface-pro sddm[950]: Session started true   
   > }   
   >   
   > I don't know how to parse these let alone construe them.   
   >   
      
   OK, I got autologin working here, via instructions from Arch.   
      
   This article didn't match on a lot of detail, but it had the critical bit.   
      
      https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/SDDM   
      
   First when I did this and set it up:   
      
       sudo dpkg-reconfigure sddm   
      
   I was "greeted" on next boot, by a rather stiff-looking   
   blank "username" and blank "password" field. So by default, there   
   was no autologin set up at all. Makes sense (unless sddm was   
   the default manager when the distro was constructed and the   
   distro team did all the work for this via the installer details).   
      
   The Arch instructions are simple   
      
   cd /etc   
   sudo mkdir sddm.conf.d           # Directory is missing.   
   cd sddm.conf.d                   # Need to create a file.   
   sudo touch autologin.conf        # grease rails, so the File:Save actually   
   works for you   
   sudo xed autologin.conf          # Add three lines as follows. Likely to be   
   User=jack   
      
   **************** autologin.conf contents ********************   
   [Autologin]   
   User=jacksaccountname   
   Session=xfce   
   **************** end autologin.conf contents ********************   
      
   When I did that, saved, did this to double-check   
      
   cat autologin.conf   
      
   then shutdown and did another boot attempt...   
      
   I was greeted by being right in the xfce desktop session,   
   with no stiff-greeter asking for my account and password   
   like originally happened.   
      
      Paul   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)