How to enable Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa

by

The objective of this guide is to enable Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa Linux GNOME desktop with GDM display manager.

In this tutorial you will learn:

  • How to enable automatic user login from GUI
  • How to enable automatic user login from command line

Enabled Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa

Enabled Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa

Software Requirements and Conventions Used

Software Requirements and Linux Command Line Conventions
Category Requirements, Conventions or Software Version Used
System Installed Ubuntu 20.04 or upgraded Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa
Software N/A
Other Privileged access to your Linux system as root or via the sudo command.
Conventions # – requires given linux commands to be executed with root privileges either directly as a root user or by use of sudo command
$ – requires given linux commands to be executed as a regular non-privileged user

How to enable Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 step by step instructions

Enable GDM automatic login from GNOME desktop

  1. Open Users settings window

    Open Users settings window by searching the Activities menu and clinking on the appropriate icon.

  2. Click unlock button

    Click Unlock button to enter privileged mode

    Enter administrative sudo password

    Enter your administrative password and hit Authenticate button.

  3. Turn the Automatic Login switch on

    Turn the Automatic Login switch on

  4. All done. Reboot your Ubuntu system to confirm the new automatic user login settings.

Enable GDM automatic login from command line

To enable automatic user login from command line as and administrative user edit the /etc/gdm3/custom.conf file from:

[daemon]
# Uncoment the line below to force the login screen to use Xorg
#WaylandEnable=false

# Enabling automatic login
#  AutomaticLoginEnable = true
#  AutomaticLogin = user1

To:

[daemon]
# Uncoment the line below to force the login screen to use Xorg
#WaylandEnable=false

# Enabling automatic login
AutomaticLoginEnable = true
AutomaticLogin = linuxconfig

Once ready, reboot your system to confirm the settings:

$ sudo reboot
Enable Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa

Enable Automatic Login on Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa

Related Linux Tutorials: