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FedKad
Asked: 2020-08-25 00:41:25 +0800 CST

Graphic login screen displays login name instead of full user name

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I am using Ubuntu 20.04.1. Recently (I haven't noticed exactly when), the graphic login screen of Ubuntu started showing the login names (the first field in the /etc/passwd file) instead of the full user names as set in the 5th (comment) field in the /etc/passwd file.

A copy of my Ubuntu user definition from /etc/passwd is given below:

fedon:x:1000:1000:Fedon Kadifeli:/home/fedon:/bin/bash

For this user, I am expecting the full name Fedon Kadifeli to be displayed on the graphical login user selection screen at the right of the account picture. However, the login name fedon is displayed instead. However, after I select the user and switch to the graphical password entry screen, the full user name of the selected login name is displayed (as expected).

How can I set Ubuntu to display the full names in the login screen again?

Notes:

  1. I have a test (virtual) system with exactly the same Ubuntu version and it displays the user names correctly in the login screen. I need to find the difference between these the two systems. The user entries in /etc/passwd are exactly the same on both systems. I have checked Settings -> Users on both systems and the user definitions are also the same.

  2. I tried to change the entries in /org/gnome/login-screen/ with dconf-editor. However, they have no effect. I guess the changes are made for the current user, whereas a system-wide configuration should be needed for the login screen!

  3. I have also looked at: https://help.gnome.org/admin/system-admin-guide/stable/login.html.en , but I found nothing useful.

May be important:

  1. There is an "accessibility" icon (the little guy with open arms) on the log in screen. I have not enabled any accessibility option; all options are in their defaults which is off. However, when I enable the Large Text option, the text becomes larger and the login names change to full user names. Even after I disable the Large Text option back to its original off position, the text reverts back to its normal (smaller) size, but the full user names stay on the screen (exactly as I want them). However, this state is not preserved after reboot.

  2. I have a feeling that this problem may be related to another one observed on my system: After system boot, many processes belonging to `gdm` user are created

login-screen username

4 Answers

  1. Well, not sure you'll be happy to learn this, but there is what appears to be an active bug that suggests that it's the length of the user name that determines whether to display full name or username, details here: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1841810

    I'd recommend you test this on your installation to confirm. I can tell you that the full name "John Doe" on my installation (running Gnome on Ubuntu 20.04.1) does show just fine in gdm3.

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  2. Best Answer

    After the regular Ubuntu 20.04.1 system update today this problem was fixed. I suspect it is the mutter package and the related libraries that were updated from 3.36.4 to 3.36.6 that fixed that problem. The current state of the system is something like this:

    $ apt --installed list  | grep mutter

gir1.2-mutter-6/focal-updates,now 3.36.6-1ubuntu0.20.04.2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
libmutter-6-0/focal-updates,now 3.36.6-1ubuntu0.20.04.2 amd64 [installed,automatic]
mutter-common/focal-updates,focal-updates,now 3.36.6-1ubuntu0.20.04.2 all [installed,automatic]
mutter/focal-updates,now 3.36.6-1ubuntu0.20.04.2 amd64 [installed,automatic]

    Now, the full user names, instead of the short login names are displayed even when I select "Large text" or normal text from the accessibility menu.

    If somebody had the same problem and it is or not fixed now, after the latest Ubuntu 20.04.1 update, please comment.

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  3. You can drop to a TTY and log in. You can then run the following:

    sudo apt purge gdm3 && sudo apt install gdm3 && sudo systemctl enable gdm3 && sudo systemctl start gdm3

    The above commands will remove GDM3 (login screen) completely from your system, install it again and start GDM3.

    If is still doesn't work, you can report the bug at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gdm3/+filebug, or by running the following in the terminal:

    ubuntu-bug gdm3
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  4. You could always try installing another display manager like lightdm or kdm.... (assuming you are currently using gdm).... Being that lightdm is running on my MATE system, and yours and mine virtual systems seem to be behaving similarly.

    For comparison:
    These all worked for me. I'm using Mate 20.04.1 LTS(host), running a Flashback VM in virtual box (20.04.1 LTS).... Both of my systems display the same behavior...

    a) Editing /etc/passwd takes effect immediately... Tested by locking the screen and/or switching user. The full user name shows at the login. Effect also seen immediately in the name change at "power button/switcher" menu on the panel.

    b) Using sudo chfn -f "Ladies Love my Username" <username> same success.

    c) Using sudo usermod -c "Ladies Love my Username" <usermame> same success.

    d) Using the GUI under System Settings --> Users to edit the user name... same success

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