[Solved] Seeking The Right Linux

[dryadsdad]

My goal is to replace Windows with Linux. I’m at the stage where I wish to evaluate various Linux flavors to find one best for me.

I have been using Zorin for a while now to the point I have a feel for it so wished to add another version to my experience. I installed Kubuntu as a dual boot with Zorin. The setup left me with a good install of both. I have a personal loathing for passwords and won’t use them for my home office machines. I am as sure as I can be that I chose the direct login rather than enter a password when given the choice during the Kubuntu setup.

However, booting it up the next day presented me with a password demand. Since, AFAIK, I never established one I am unable to correctly enter it now. I’d like to know if there’s a *reasonable* workaround the OS’s password demand. By reasonable I mean for me a complete newbie in Linux not having used any flavor of Unix for several decades and that was BSD.

I’m OK re-installing Kubuntu since as of now it doesn’t mean any loss of data/work. What I don’t wish is to add a second Kubuntu or junk up the boot drive with orphaned files. I’d appreciate a suggestion of how to either use my current Kubuntu (bypass password) or how to remove it or how to cleanly run another Kubuntu setup that supplants the current install instead of adding another.

Please keep any suggestions at the novice or lower level since that’s where I am now. Thanks for any ideas.

[oshunluvr]

Couple of things need discussion here, but first lets address solutions.

If you somehow managed to complete the install without a user password ( AFAIK, it's not possible or the installer has a bug) or you did supply a password and have just forgotten, you need to boot into "Recovery mode" from the GRUB menu. This will automatically open a terminal with password-less root access. You then will need to set a password for your user account and reboot with your user password.

Once in the recovery terminal, enter:

passwd <username>

Then type in a password and reboot. Once you have rebooted, log into your user account using the password you chose in the above step. Once logged in, you will want to set "auto login" for your user account and also disable screen locking (which will also require your password).

You can either disable KDEwallet or simply enter a blank password for it the first time is pops up.

The following post will discuss this further...

[skyfishgoo]

linux, unlike windows, requires a password.... it doesn't have to be complicated but you do need to enter something during the install setup or it will not work properly.

in case this is also an issue for you the user name must be at least 2 characters...

some ppl take issue with both of these requirements and for them i will say, there are other distros.

for me it's not an issue.

[oshunluvr]

Your personal preferences aside, for security reasons logins in with an empty password are simply not allowed. When using Kubuntu or any other Ubuntu derivative, the login manager will not let an account log in that doesn't have a password. This is a basic and long-standing first line of defense against shenanigans. You can mitigate this almost entirely a bit by doing what I said above - using autologin and not setting the screen locker.

Furthermore, *buntu distros do not have a root user password by default. These distros are set up to require the user password for system management like updates, installing new applications, or editing system files. This is referred to as "sudo" access. By default, the first user account created at install time will automatically be granted sudo ("do as super user") rights. This is the second line of defense because anyone who might hack in (an extremely rare occurrence, I know) and have access would be less likely to be able to gain system control. Note that any subsequently create user accounts will not be granted sudo access by default.

You may, because it's your system obviously, add a password for the root account, but it's really not necessary for any good reason. If you are using the terminal want want to enter more than a couple "sudo" commands, you can simply enter "sudo -i" and you will be in a root user session until you enter "exit". NOTE that if you run GUI (graphical) programs as root user or with sudo you will damage your install and very likely end up having to reinstall. This is part of the reasoning behind NOT having a root account password in the first place.

All of this is to help prevent users from unintentionally damaging their installation. Since you're really required to have a user password, I suggest using something easy to remember and paste it to the monitor frame. This is no less safe than autolgoin and much less work than trying to circumvent every basic security measure Linux provides.

[oshunluvr]

As far as "junking up" your drive with orphaned files, simply re-format when you re-install and everything on that file system will be deleted.

[dryadsdad]

OK, thank you for the comprehensive answer. As to my apparently faulty password memory, I'm at a loss but will accept that I did add a password during the setup but forgot the incident. I do know that Zorin boots up without a password so that Linux as a generic demands one seems like a sketchy statement. Then again, maybe I'm doubly missing something in both Kubuntu and Zorin. I do remember clearly declining to add a password to Zorin's keyring which elicited a warning but which was accepted.

I was reluctant to reformat/repartition the entire disc and reinstall both OSes. While my Kubuntu is unused and therefore no loss possible for a loss of it, I have been using Zorin for a while so was hoping to preserve it while recovering Kubuntu. Since it's not my working OS, I suppose I'll keep that in mind as a fallback operation.

Again, thanks for the full and comprehensible array of suggestions.

[dryadsdad]

I reinstalled Kubuntu remaking the former Kubuntu partition thus assuring no orphaned files. If I can, I'll post an image of the setup with the option to directly start this OS w/o a password. I think I checked this box last time but am sure I did this go around. Kubuntu does boot up without asking for a password. I ran the setup in grub mode. I'm unclear if this has made any difference. Zorin remains.

I apparently do not have image posting privileges. Anyway, I'm running now and as I wish - no pwd for either Zorin or Kubuntu. Again, thanks for all the responses.

[die.boer]

my 2 cents off topic , iv'e been on zorin before , though it is very nice , kubuntu IMO is just much more nicer
not gonna go into details why , maybe you'll see for yourself eventually

[Snowhog]

I apparently do not have image posting privileges.

You do now.