Linux mint 13: guest session?

[Johnny75_]

Where can i find guest session? I cannot open a guest session from my account.... where did it finish?

[xenopeek]

I don't think this is included in Linux Mint 13. As login manager Linux Mint 13 uses MDM, which is based on Gnome 2's GDM. Running a guest session on that was done by the gdm-guest-session package. I don't see a MDM version of that...

Ubuntu 11.10 had switched from Gnome 2's GDM to lightDM, which included its own way to log in as guest. This was also used on Linux Mint 12. On Linux Mint 13 lightDM has been replaced by MDM. Possibly, but I don't know, you could install lightDM to replace MDM (I would only consider that for Cinnamon, not MATE, and I wouldn't do it on my main system but do it on a spare or in Virtual Box first).

[Johnny75_]

For me, this is a big problem.... what can i make when i want give my pc to any friend but i don't want he sees my home files? Guest session was a good thing, i think it's a big error to delete it

[xenopeek]

You could just create a new user called "guest" once, and lock down your home folder so other users can't see your files? Then log out or lock screen and switch user, for somebody else to use your computer. The feature then lacking being that if one guest saves a Firefox bookmark, for example, that would be visible to the next guest also.

To lock your home folder so only you can access your files, open a terminal and do:

Code: Select all

chmod 700 ~

This will change the permissions on your home folder so that only you can look into it (and root, obviously, so don't hand over your root password ).

Not a perfect solution, but a workaround for now?

[Johnny75_]

do you think they could include guest session in next days?
Your solution is good, but not perfect like guest session

[xenopeek]

I think you will have to submit an idea for that, if you want it. I don't think at this point it will be added to the final release (as it is about to be released). Perhaps it has been added to the final release. I'd suggest to wait for that, and if it is not included to submit an idea to the Suggestions & New Ideas section on this forum, or better perhaps to the Community website (where other Linux Mint users can vote your idea up/down). There is a somewhat similar idea to be able to disable/enable the guest account: http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/view/2152. I think it is now outdated.

[Johnny75_]

thanks for advice. I made it. Is it possibile also know who is the creator of mdm, emailing him with this advice?

[xenopeek]

MDM (mate-display-manager) is a fork of GDM, and part of the MATE desktop. The Linux Mint developers are also involved in MATE, but MATE has its own development team. Perhaps this can be added on Linux Mint, or perhaps it needs to be built at MATE, I'm not sure. The MATE desktop project is here: http://mate-desktop.org/. They also have a forum, so yes, perhaps also post the idea there

Johnny75_'s idea on the Community website is here: http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/subscribe/2739

[Johnny75_]

everyone wants GUEST SESSION in linux mint 13, please, vote my idea.
Thanks for support

Support my idea: http://community.linuxmint.com/idea/subscribe/2739

[dalcde]

Personally I find the guest session to be insecure (at least it feels insecure), since anyone can log in without a password and mess up with your system (I know it isn't as worse as it sounds, but it is a risk). That's especially the case with notebooks. It would be nice, however, to have an optional (non-default) guest session with a password.

[Johnny75_]

Non credo sia insucura. Pensa di dover prestare il tuo notebook per 15 min ad un tuo amico per controllare email e guardare qualcosa sul web. Con l'account guest, glielo presti, e sai che non potrà frugare tra la tua home, i tuoi documenti, le tue email, etc....
Se invece glielo presti con attivo il tuo account, credo sia molto peggio. Tu dici: attivo un nuovo account. Allora perchè non avere guest, comodo, già pronto all'uso, e che non lascia tracce quando fai logout? Attivando un nuovo account per prestarlo, dovresti anche rimuovere l'account, la home ed eventuali alte tracce lasciate, senza che questa scomodità porti ad alcun vantaggio rispetto all'account guest.

[xenopeek]

Please reply in English. For discussion in other languages, kindly do so in viewforum.php?f=62.

[twipley]

Personally I find the guest session to be insecure (at least it feels insecure), since anyone can log in without a password and mess up with your system.

Well, it seems the guest session is both secure and sandboxed, at least according to http://brainstorm.ubuntu.com/idea/28372/ (further down the comments section).