Automatic login no longer working?

[telarium]

I've set up a few Pi's in the past with all of them automatically logging into the default user account on startup. This has been done by following these instructions:

http://elinux.org/RPi_Debian_Auto_Login

However, with my new Raspberry Pi after running apt-get update and apt-get upgrade, this doesn't seem to work anymore. I added this line to the bottom of initttab:

1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

Does this no longer work? I noticed 1:2345 seems to be replaced now with T0:23. But if I try this...

T0:23:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

... it totally destroyed my ability to use my Pi any longer.

[telarium]

By the way, this is what the bottom of my inittab file looks like:

Code: Select all

# /etc/inittab: init(8) configuration.
# $Id: inittab,v 1.91 2002/01/25 13:35:21 miquels Exp $

# The default runlevel.
id:2:initdefault:

# Boot-time system configuration/initialization script.
# This is run first except when booting in emergency (-b) mode.
si::sysinit:/etc/init.d/rcS

# What to do in single-user mode.
~~:S:wait:/sbin/sulogin

# /etc/init.d executes the S and K scripts upon change
# of runlevel.
#
# Runlevel 0 is halt.
# Runlevel 1 is single-user.
# Runlevels 2-5 are multi-user.
# Runlevel 6 is reboot.

l0:0:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 0
l1:1:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 1
l2:2:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 2
l3:3:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 3
l4:4:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 4
l5:5:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 5
l6:6:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 6
# Normally not reached, but fallthrough in case of emergency.
z6:6:respawn:/sbin/sulogin

# What to do when CTRL-ALT-DEL is pressed.
ca:12345:ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t1 -a -r now

# Action on special keypress (ALT-UpArrow).
#kb::kbrequest:/bin/echo "Keyboard Request--edit /etc/inittab to let this work."

# What to do when the power fails/returns.
pf::powerwait:/etc/init.d/powerfail start
pn::powerfailnow:/etc/init.d/powerfail now
po::powerokwait:/etc/init.d/powerfail stop

# /sbin/getty invocations for the runlevels.
#
# The "id" field MUST be the same as the last
# characters of the device (after "tty").
#
# Format:
#  <id>:<runlevels>:<action>:<process>
#
# Note that on most Debian systems tty7 is used by the X Window System,
# so if you want to add more getty's go ahead but skip tty7 if you run X.
#
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --noclear 38400 tty1
2:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
3:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty3
4:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty4
5:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty5
6:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty6

# Example how to put a getty on a serial line (for a terminal)
#
#T0:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS0 9600 vt100
#T1:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS1 9600 vt100

# Example how to put a getty on a modem line.
#
#T3:23:respawn:/sbin/mgetty -x0 -s 57600 ttyS3


#Spawn a getty on Raspberry Pi serial line
#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1
1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

[Joe Schmoe]

Note that that advice (on that page) is pretty much out-of-date and should be ignored.

It's not the best method for doing this.

[telarium]

What method should be used?

[rpdom]

It doesn't say to add

Code: Select all

#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1
1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

to the end of the file.

It says to find the existing

Code: Select all

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1

line, put a "#" in front of it and add the new line directly after it.

As you haven't put a # in front of the original line in the file it will still get executed and ask for a login as normal, and your new line will never be used.

[telarium]

If you look at the full code I posted, isn't this the case? I commented out the original line and added the new one.

[raspuser]

Just like rpdom said, you are not supposed to add:

Code: Select all

#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1
1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

... but to comment (#) the existing

Code: Select all

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1

After that, add the following line below the previous one ( i.e the commented one )

Code: Select all

1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

Your file contains twice:

Code: Select all

#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1
1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

Just delete the second

Code: Select all

1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

... which is at the bottom of your file.

[telarium]

I think there's some confusion here. Again, if you look at the full code I posted, this line appears once and only once. The line that I was supposed to comment out is indeed commented out. There are no extra commands like you're suggesting.

Here's the full code again:

Code: Select all

# /etc/inittab: init(8) configuration.
# $Id: inittab,v 1.91 2002/01/25 13:35:21 miquels Exp $

# The default runlevel.
id:2:initdefault:

# Boot-time system configuration/initialization script.
# This is run first except when booting in emergency (-b) mode.
si::sysinit:/etc/init.d/rcS

# What to do in single-user mode.
~~:S:wait:/sbin/sulogin

# /etc/init.d executes the S and K scripts upon change
# of runlevel.
#
# Runlevel 0 is halt.
# Runlevel 1 is single-user.
# Runlevels 2-5 are multi-user.
# Runlevel 6 is reboot.

l0:0:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 0
l1:1:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 1
l2:2:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 2
l3:3:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 3
l4:4:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 4
l5:5:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 5
l6:6:wait:/etc/init.d/rc 6
# Normally not reached, but fallthrough in case of emergency.
z6:6:respawn:/sbin/sulogin

# What to do when CTRL-ALT-DEL is pressed.
ca:12345:ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t1 -a -r now

# Action on special keypress (ALT-UpArrow).
#kb::kbrequest:/bin/echo "Keyboard Request--edit /etc/inittab to let this work."

# What to do when the power fails/returns.
pf::powerwait:/etc/init.d/powerfail start
pn::powerfailnow:/etc/init.d/powerfail now
po::powerokwait:/etc/init.d/powerfail stop

# /sbin/getty invocations for the runlevels.
#
# The "id" field MUST be the same as the last
# characters of the device (after "tty").
#
# Format:
#  <id>:<runlevels>:<action>:<process>
#
# Note that on most Debian systems tty7 is used by the X Window System,
# so if you want to add more getty's go ahead but skip tty7 if you run X.
#
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --noclear 38400 tty1
2:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
3:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty3
4:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty4
5:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty5
6:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty6

# Example how to put a getty on a serial line (for a terminal)
#
#T0:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS0 9600 vt100
#T1:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS1 9600 vt100

# Example how to put a getty on a modem line.
#
#T3:23:respawn:/sbin/mgetty -x0 -s 57600 ttyS3


#Spawn a getty on Raspberry Pi serial line
#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1
1:2345:respawn:/bin/login -f pi tty1 </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1

"1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1" appears once and only once, and it is commented out. Yet the Pi still will not automatically log me in.

Apologies if I'm being dense, but I don't see what you are referring to.

[telarium]

Okay, I see my confusion. The line I needed to comment out was "1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --noclear 38400 tty1"

I guess I was following the instructions too literally, where it listed the line as "1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1". I'm assuming this must have changed with the more recent Raspi release.

[rpdom]

Okay, I see my confusion. The line I needed to comment out was "1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --noclear 38400 tty1"

I guess I was following the instructions too literally, where it listed the line as "1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 115200 tty1". I'm assuming this must have changed with the more recent Raspi release.

Sorry, maybe we should have been more clear on that too.

The "1:2345:" identifies the line and when it will be used. The rest of the line is what it should do.

[mathewL]

The line you tried in fact doesn't work. What you want to use is:

Code: Select all

#1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --noclear 38400 ttyl
1:2345:respawn:sbin/getty --autologin {USERNAME} --noclear 38400 tty1

thanks to:
http://raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/qu ... n-raspbian