HOWTO add login and password when booting Puppy

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Bruce B

HOWTO add login and password when booting Puppy

#1 Post by Bruce B »

Puppy by default boots straight into the root account without any intervention from this user. If for some reason you want Puppy to stop require a login and password, this very simple (simplistic?) post shows you how to do it.

Here is the default /etc/inittab file:

Code: Select all

::sysinit:/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
tty1::respawn:/sbin/getty -n -l /bin/autologinroot 38400 tty1
tty2::respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/reboot
Here is the modified /etc/inittab file, changes on line 2 only:

Code: Select all

::sysinit:/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
tty1::respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1
tty2::respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/reboot
After changing inittab, on the next boot, Puppy will stop and require a login. Login as root :)

Then it asks for the password, if no password has been set, just hit the enter key. If a password has been set, enter the password, then hit the enter key.

To set and change the password, on the command line do this:

# passwd root

Then follow the on screen instructions.

------------

This should be a reasonable deterent to prevent casual booting of your Puppy, especially for people not familiar with Linux.

Combined with other measures and techniques, Puppy can be hard to access for even fairly adept users.

John Doe
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Re: HOWTO add login and password when booting Puppy

#2 Post by John Doe »

Bruce B wrote:This should be a reasonable deterent to prevent causal booting of your Puppy, especially for people not familiar with Linux.

Combined with other measures and techniques, ...
i couldn't agree more. here is some info i gleaned off the forum and put into a post.

http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=18639
Bruce B wrote:Puppy can be hard to access for even fairly adept users.
that made me chuckle as sometimes i still have trouble booting myself and i've been here 2+ years. it's great to be able to help fix it.

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trapster
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#3 Post by trapster »

After I set up xlock, I just put /usr/sbin/xlock into /.xinitrc before the exec currentwm line.
When I don't want to use it, I just comment it out.
Last edited by trapster on Fri 23 Nov 2007, 11:26, edited 1 time in total.
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PaulBx1
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#4 Post by PaulBx1 »

This is pretty modest protection. About as good as a BIOs password. However it does not protect your data, especially in the case where you are booting off an easily-stealable or -losable flash drive. For that you need an encrypted pupsave, and for data off the pupsave you need truecrypt or something of that nature. I suppose you could use the same programs used for encrypting a pupsave to make another encrypted volume as well.

I don't agree with Lobster's contention on that other thread, that encryption (even "heavy" encryption) slows your computer. I haven't noticed it. Maybe in some situations, like heavy compiling work, it might be noticed, but not for the usual web surfing and email...

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#5 Post by Vettephil »

trapster wrote:After I set up xlock, I just put /usr/sbin/xlock into /.initrc before the exec currentwm line.
When I don't want to use it, I just comment it out.
I tried this in 3.01 Retro but it did not work. Is there an updated solution for the latest Puppy? (Bruce B's option above does still work.)

Thanks!
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Lobster
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#6 Post by Lobster »

PaulBx1 wrote:I don't agree with Lobster's contention on that other thread, that encryption (even "heavy" encryption) slows your computer. I haven't noticed it. Maybe in some situations, like heavy compiling work, it might be noticed, but not for the usual web surfing and email...
That is good news. :)

I just had an idea
It should be relatively easy to boot up into the screen saver?
that has a password . . .

(click top right on lock icon to see screen saver password options)

Cli wizards might tell you how to do that - or maybe you can figure it and tell us :)
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#7 Post by trapster »

Vettephil -

I am currently using the xlock in puppy300 retro with no issues. It works with jwm and icewm.
I just had an idea
It should be relatively easy to boot up into the screen saver?
that has a password . . .
This is how I use a password to keep the "kids" off it.
see my post above.
trapster
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#8 Post by Lobster »

This is how I use a password to keep the "kids" off it.
see my post above.


:oops:

What a great idea I almost had :idea:
and you implemented . . :shock: .
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BarryK
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#9 Post by BarryK »

The default password for 'root' in Puppy 3.01 is 'woofwoof'.
I don't know what it is in earlier puppies.

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HairyWill
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#10 Post by HairyWill »

in earlier puppies there is no password
I use CTRL-ALT-F2 a lot if X locks up
I was a bit thrown with 3.01 but remembered it from your blog on printers(?)

This could do with being a bit more visible.
Will
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ll l ll lll ll l ll
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#11 Post by ll l ll lll ll l ll »

well i have a silly request
i have puppy 4.2.1 on pen drive(8gb). pup save file is 512mb. ram 1gb. p4 3ghz.
Puppy displays "puppypc login:" (changed the inittab --> tty1::respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1 ). i want to change this login prompt so that another user will not know that the sys is asking for username /pass.ie i want to change the words "puppypc login:" and "password" to something else like say a funny one liner, idiotic philosophy, puzzle, etc that is totally unrelated to login. i have no serious reasons to do this other than to amuse myself. ( i find this playing around to be a better way to learn )
i tried pfind, grep and murga-linux.com to locate the file containing these words but no sucess. I am new to the internal working of unix but eventually googled to /etc/inittab, getty, /etc/issue, issue escapes, /bin/login etcetra. (i couldnt open /bin/login file in geany). learnt related things other than the one originally intended.

So my question:
How do i hide/camouflage the login prompt. It could be anything from funny to something that totally freaks out the unsuspecting user.Any pre-existing standard/classical pranks too are welcome. just show me the direction i will catch on.

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Gorilla no baka
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#12 Post by Gorilla no baka »

ll l ll lll ll l ll wrote:well i have a silly request
i have puppy 4.2.1 on pen drive(8gb). pup save file is 512mb. ram 1gb. p4 3ghz.
Puppy displays "puppypc login:" (changed the inittab --> tty1::respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1 ). i want to change this login prompt so that another user will not know that the sys is asking for username /pass.ie i want to change the words "puppypc login:" and "password" to something else like say a funny one liner, idiotic philosophy, puzzle, etc that is totally unrelated to login. i have no serious reasons to do this other than to amuse myself. ( i find this playing around to be a better way to learn )
i tried pfind, grep and murga-linux.com to locate the file containing these words but no sucess. I am new to the internal working of unix but eventually googled to /etc/inittab, getty, /etc/issue, issue escapes, /bin/login etcetra. (i couldnt open /bin/login file in geany). learnt related things other than the one originally intended.

So my question:
How do i hide/camouflage the login prompt. It could be anything from funny to something that totally freaks out the unsuspecting user.Any pre-existing standard/classical pranks too are welcome. just show me the direction i will catch on.

You mean like that?? I could have write there anything Puppy is not complaining..

Image




Obviously you have not tried to search inside of the puppy first otherwise you would have find it in no time...


NO wonder nobody could be bothered to answer at something so obvious...

Well, it took me 5 minutes to find it and everyone around here knows that i am not a Linux native so to speak...

I recently came from Windows..

The file you need to modify is right under your nose.. you do not even have to ctrl +h to find it..


Lemme know if you found it ...If not i will just post the answer... :roll: :lol:

Cheers!
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[color=red]I'M IN MY OWN WORLD[/color].[/b] [color=darkred]IT'S OK, THEY KNOW ME HERE..!!![/color]

Ed Howdershelt
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Re: HOWTO add login and password when booting Puppy

#13 Post by Ed Howdershelt »

re: passwords at bootup...

Do you keep your CDs in the same room as your computer?
If so, they can be found and used, particularly the Puppy CD.
Boot from that and you can likely run any of the Puppy progs on your HD.

Do your potential intruders have access to other Live CDs?
If so, they can bring one of their own and boot right past your password to snoop through your files.

However... you can password-protect or encrypt a deliberately misnamed file containing all your web-activity login infos.
Or... email it to yourself at a place like Yahoo Mail or Hotmail.
Login there, open the message, use the info, and close the website when finished.
When you shut down it will disappear.

You can also keep only your system files on the HD and keep all others containing any sensitive stuff on a flash drive or portable HD.

If your info is where someone can find it, it's vulnerable.
Ed Howdershelt - Abintra Press
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shadower_sc
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Password on Boot isn't secure

#14 Post by shadower_sc »

Having a password on boot isn't secure in and of itself. The only way to have any real amount of security is having an encrypted file system that is password protected. Anyone with any reasonable amount of technological know how can get access to your data, if they have access to your physical computer.

This does come in handy, if you have small children who are just learning computers. This kind of protection would probably work to keep technophobes off your computer as well.

A simple password at boot would also keep your system fairly secure, if you had the physical machine locked in a cabinet or case of some kind. (Make sure the cabinet/case has plenty of ventilation.)

Bruce B

Re: Password on Boot isn't secure

#15 Post by Bruce B »

shadower_sc wrote:A simple password at boot would also keep your system fairly secure, if you had the physical machine locked in a cabinet or case of some kind. (Make sure the cabinet/case has plenty of ventilation.)
That's along the lines of what it would take to protect a computer from
knowledgeable and untrustworthy people who have physical access.

Remove the physical access.

~

netfrog77
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How can I add the login/password for Puppy 5.1/5,2 ?

#16 Post by netfrog77 »

Obviously /etc/inittab has changed since the original solution was posted.

Thanks,
Bob

Bruce B

Re: How can I add the login/password for Puppy 5.1/5,2 ?

#17 Post by Bruce B »

netfrog77 wrote:Obviously /etc/inittab has changed since the
original solution was posted.

Thanks,
Bob
I made the original post a little less then four years ago. Things
change, but case, its the same with Lupu 5.20 as it was with
whatever version I was using back then.

Change this line:

tty1::respawn:/sbin/getty -n -l /bin/autologinroot 38400 tty1

To:

tty1::respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1

After the change, the boot process with stop and have you login and
provide the password.

~

netfrog77
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Still not certain what to do with the current version

#18 Post by netfrog77 »

Hi,

Thanks for responding; but I'm still not certain what to do.

Here are the tty lines in the current initab:

# Run gettys in standard runlevels
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6

There is no 'autologin' option that would be removed by replacing the line.
Do you know if this is a customized version of 'mingetty' that does the autologin?

Thanks,
Bob

Bruce B

Re: Still not certain what to do with the current version

#19 Post by Bruce B »

netfrog77 wrote: # Run gettys in standard runlevels
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6
That's for an operating system with run levels. I didn't know any Puppy
used run levels. Which version are you using?

~

netfrog77
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Please Forgive a Puppy Frugal Newbie for a Silly Mistake

#20 Post by netfrog77 »

Thanks Bruce B.

Your latest post clued me in to my error.
I mistakenly looked at the etc/inittab file in the file system that appears in Roxfiler when you click on the mounted partition where Puppy is installed.
Since it has been a while since I installed Puppy, I had forgotten it was installed in the file system of another Linux version and did not realize that Roxfiler was not displaying the Puppy file system.

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