xscreensaver requires password for user knoppix

[mrdarrett]

Running Knoppix 6.2.1 boot DVD:

While doing a long dd operation on my wife's laptop, I thought of closing the laptop to save power. When I opened it I was given an xscreensaver Login window with username knoppix (which cannot be changed). I tried blank password, "knoppix", "root"... nothing worked.

Eventually just had to shut power off to the laptop to regain access.

Is this a known issue? What is the password?

Thanks,

Michael

[klaus2008]

You have to set a password for the user knoppix. You can do so by switching to a console (the key combination Ctrl-Alt-F1 should work) and issuing

passwd knoppix

You can switch back to the graphical desktop environment with the key combination Alt-F5.

[krishna.murphy]

You have to set a password for the user knoppix. You can do so by switching to a console (the key combination Ctrl-Alt-F1 should work)

This does not work on any system I've tried it on since version 6 came out. The command that does the trick is (from terminal):

chvt 1

Once I get there, the "return to X" combo described below works.

and issuing

passwd knoppix

You can switch back to the graphical desktop environment with the key combination Alt-F5.

Cheers!
Krishna

[yannos]

I got terminal .... entered chvt 1 and got an error out to prompt. so, input passwd knoppix and got prompted for the current password ... which we do not know! so, again how to change it so I do not keep getting locked out with this scrnsvr? pretty please! Yannos

[krishna.murphy]

I got terminal .... entered chvt 1 and got an error out to prompt. so, input passwd knoppix and got prompted for the current password ... which we do not know! so, again how to change it so I do not keep getting locked out with this scrnsvr? pretty please! Yannos

Hmm - not entirely clear what's happening, but I'll take a swing at it.

1) Check out the Preferences section on the main menu for the screensaver settings. I don't like them much, and don't want to get locked out, so I disabled it on my own system. This has to be done each time you log in, unless you set up a permanent store, which makes Knoppix act much like a "regular" OS that remembers your settings from one login to the next (or mostly does, anyway.) It does require "installing" on a writable medium, though.

2) Or, try using the sudo [command] format to give yourself temporary root powers; sudo chvt 1 will get you over to that root console. One other way to use it is:

sudo su -

That sends you to a full root-logged-in status, if you need it. Simply prefixing commands with sudo gives you a little bit of protection in case of typos, etc. - nice not to accidentally remove everything on the hard drive (for instance), which the system would do unquestioningly if you just type in commands as root.

Cheers!
Krishna

[Forester]

@ krishna

I have a question for you. Folks with just the CD can't save any settings, not even the password. So each time they (re)boot, they've got to set the password or change the preference all over again. Small wonder they may be tempted to suspend or hibernate rather than reboot.

The snag is that when you resume or wake you get asked for a password you've never set and it won't take no answer for an answer. I was lucky, ctrl-alt-f2 worked for me and I set a password and then told the screen lock where to go.

The screen saver doesn't have a lock. It comes on, goes off just fine. I've opened Preferences > Screensaver and Lock Screen After box is unchecked. I can't find a check box for 'require password on resume', not for LXDE. On the advanced tab I find Power Management Enabled is unchecked. I've open Preferences > Power Management but can find no pertinent check box.

Where is the Preferences folks must set to stop LXDE asking for a password that's not been set when the PC / laptop resumes from suspension or wakes from hibernation ?

@ yannos and others

passwd knoppix

will ask for the old password. If you've never set a password, just hit return.

If you want to set a new password and can't remember the old one, just to

sudo passwd knoppix

[krishna.murphy]

@ krishna

I have a question for you. Folks with just the CD can't save any settings, not even the password. So each time they (re)boot, they've got to set the password or change the preference all over again. Small wonder they may be tempted to suspend or hibernate rather than reboot.

The snag is that when you resume or wake you get asked for a password you've never set and it won't take no answer for an answer. I was lucky, ctrl-alt-f2 worked for me and I set a password and then told the screen lock where to go.

The screen saver doesn't have a lock. It comes on, goes off just fine. I've opened Preferences > Screensaver and Lock Screen After box is unchecked. I can't find a check box for 'require password on resume', not for LXDE. On the advanced tab I find Power Management Enabled is unchecked. I've open Preferences > Power Management but can find no pertinent check box.

Where is the Preferences folks must set to stop LXDE asking for a password that's not been set when the PC / laptop resumes from suspension or wakes from hibernation ?

Take a look at System Tools -> Configuration Editor. I'm fairly sure that's where I found that, probably under Desktop.

Cheers!
Krishna

[Forester]

Take a look at System Tools -> Configuration Editor. I'm fairly sure that's where I found that, probably under Desktop.

Nice try. Couldn't find anything under there that looked pertinent. Anyway, isn't this the Configuration Editor for the Gnome desktop and thus totally impertinent ?

[krishna.murphy]

Oops! Try System Tools -> XscreenSaver Setup and see what that does for you.

Cheers!

Krishna

[Forester]

Oops! Try System Tools -> XscreenSaver Setup and see what that does for you.

Oops! I have Knoppix 6.4.3 (MAXI) and it does not seem to have System Tools -> XscreenSaver Setup.

If it had, I would have tried that already but I've just looked again and it isn't there.

Cheers!