dx-packages team mailing list archive

[gouri <stephane.gourichon_lpad@xxxxxxx>]

# Current status: regression bug still observed

Bug still present on Xubuntu 16.04 running XFCE (and without a doubt
with Unity, too, since logic is in lightdm which is common).


# Good discussion at the time of bug report

Robert Pollak reported it very well: it's a regression.


## Some workarounds no longer applicable with lightdm


Hugo Buddel @v-launchpad-hugo-doemaarwat-nl wrote:

> FWIW, if you disable locking the screen entirely for the accounts,
then it will not lock the screen when switching users anymore.

This workaround no longer works under the new lightdm logic: lightdm
always switch to a lightdm greeter even if the session is not locked.

Robert Pollak (robert-pollak) wrote:

> I am still on Karmic and my workaround so far was to train my family
to use Ctrl-Alt-Fx for switching if possible. This also helped with
Karmic's missing fast-user-switch.

This workaround combined with completely disabling locking might still
works under the new lightdm logic.  Then users then have to guess and
try which session is on which VT.


Klaus Reichl (klaus-reichl) made a very good case:

> A use case for family sharing computers is also:
>   - If I wanna lock, I do
>   - If I switch to another user for whatever purpose,
>     I don't want to lock automatically,
>     since I'm switching back in most of the cases soon
> 
> So what would be needed here is another option beside "disable_lock_screen", named something like "disable_lock_screen_on_user_switch" and this should really be changeable efficiently in the user switching menu.


Hugo Buddel @v-launchpad-hugo-doemaarwat-nl confirmed with:

* concrete examples
* good analysis of what is related and what is not, showing that current logic is flawed


# What now?

## Need remains

In the meantime, some tech layers have changed (specifically, lightdm
replaced many other components) but the users' needs remain.  And human
users that share a computer (e.g. at home) want fast switching that is
fast.

## Solution

Bringing back a per-user option that says "Lock screen on switching
users" would be very nice.

## Proof-of-concept implementation

I opened https://askubuntu.com/questions/811953/switching-between-two-
opened-x-sessions-without-reauthenticating with a proof-of-concept
implementation for lightdm.  Currently it just allows any user to fast
switch to any user that has a session already opened (actually, it
unlocks it, this can be improved).  This is overkill, but at least it
provides the benefit and users wishing security can use a third party
screen locker (e.g. xscreensaver) to get it back.

I'm open to discussing alternate solutions, like having groups of
mutually trusted users as sketched on
https://askubuntu.com/questions/811953/switching-between-two-opened-x
-sessions-without-reauthenticating .

Thank you for your attention.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/501864

Title:
  Regression: fast user switch can no longer be fast because it locks
  screen every time.

Status in Session Menu:
  Triaged
Status in indicator-session package in Ubuntu:
  Triaged

Bug description:
  In the preferences of Jaunty's fast-user-switch-applet it was possible
  to uncheck "Lock screen after switching users". This is missing now.

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