If you want to be able to get into Ubuntu without logging in, you can set up your system such that you can bypass entering a password and bypass the login screen. You can tell Ubuntu to always automatically login to the configured account, without prompting to select a user account from the login screen.
First, you need to disable password login for the user account you want to access. To do this, select Administration | Users and Groups from the System menu.
The Users Settings dialog box displays. Click the Change button to the right of Password.
On the Change User Password dialog box, select the Don’t ask for password on login check box.
Turning this option on requires authentication. Enter your password on the Authenticate dialog box that displays and click Authenticate.
The Don’t ask for password on login check box is not selected automatically once you authenticate. You must select the check box again manually. Click OK.
To close the Users Settings dialog box, click the Close button.
Now, we want to tell Ubuntu to skip the login screen and log in as you automatically. To this, select Administration | Login Screen from the System menu.
The Login Screen Settings dialog box displays; however, it is locked preventing you from making changes. Click the Unlock button.
Enter your password on the Authenticate dialog box again and click Authenticate.
NOTE: The options on the Login Screen Settings dialog box are not unlocked automatically after authentication. You must click the Unlock button again after authentication to unlock the options.
Select the Log in as radio button and select the user name you want to log in as from the drop-down list.
To close the Login Screen Settings dialog box, click Close.
The next time your computer starts, Ubuntu will automatically login to the selected account without prompting you at the login screen.
NOTE: Remember that logging in to a system without a password is not secure. Anyone with access to your computer can get into your account. Only do this if you are sure you can keep the computer itself secured from other users or if there is no private, sensitive information on it.
by Lori Kaufman
[...] We have also previously written about how to log in automatically in Ubuntu. See our post, Automatically Log into Ubuntu Without a Password or the Login Screen. [...]