Re: [Cooker] install : automatic logon should be told "not recommended"

[John Danielson, II]

J. Greenlees wrote:

Pixel wrote:

Christophe Combelles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

Matter of ergonomics :

The automatic logon is not a very secure feature.

[...]

Either : Add the string "(not recommended)" just after the string "do you want
to use this feature", to give the good advice,

Or better : replace the two buttons "YES" and "NO" with two radio buttons
"yes" and "no". The radion button enabled by default should be "no". And add a
standard "next" button.
So the user which does not understand this feature will just click on "next"
and won't have this feature enabled, which is a good choice.

i agree the ergonomics of this box is no good.

but i do not agree this is that unsafe.

i'd agree to add "(not recommended)" iff the user has a
password-secured bootloader. and in that case, it's even better not to
propose autologin :)

for people new to linux from windows, the automatic login is what windows gives them.
for single user home use it may not be as much a risk, which is where linux will have to get people from windows to expand user base.

would definitely put a "not recommended for business/company/corporate computers" tag in. though most network admins should know that anyway.

been discussing in a forum about linux/ windows, most windows users won't switch until point and click ui is all they have to deal with.

maybe a single cd version set up for complete new users that gives them the mushroom treatment windows users are used to from ms. no options to speak of during install, no choice in ui, and set to runlevel 5 after install with automatic login. this would allow un-informed windows users to check Mandrake out in a way they are used to being treated. ;)
(though I would recommend against completely removing their windows partitions during the install, even though windows would demand that any other partitions be rebuilt.

As a Windows user from 3.0 up, AND as a Linux user for a couple years, I can tell you that what Windows users are used to is a graphical login, but do not need an autologin straight into a desktop for the most part in order to be comfortable. My Mandrake and Redhat installs do NOT go to a desktop autoload (which is what the login to KDE does) but DO go to the X-gui'd login. The first 10 installs I made of Mandrake got wiped because the video settings for X were scragged and I did not know how NOT to autoad KDE.

Just perspective. Wish list for longer term-- ask if the user has used Linux before first thing in install, then do certain things like forced\defaulted gui'd login but not a force\default to desktop if answer is no, and be more verbose about choices and logic for choosing if no or offer to show a tutorial (and recommend seeing it) before installing.

John.