Questions[user-space](ubuntu)

I found similar topics regarding slow kernel boot but my problem is that my system takes 3 minutes to load the userspace

systemd-analyze gives the following output

Startup finished in 4.247s (kernel) + 3min 743ms (userspace = 3min 4.991s
graphical.target reacher after 1min 35.812s in userspace

Is there a way to identify what exactly is taking so much time? I'm running Xubuntu 18.04 in a VirtualBox and I think the problem started after I enlarged my partition (including a recreation of the swap partition).

edit: Output of the systemd-analyze critical-chain

graphical.target @1min 35.812s
└─multi-user.target @1min 35.812s
  └─docker.service @1min 32.815s +2.996s
    └─network-online.target @1min 32.814s
      └─NetworkManager-wait-online.service @1min 31.863s +951ms
        └─NetworkManager.service @1min 31.075s +784ms
          └─dbus.service @1min 30.640s
            └─basic.target @1min 30.529s
              └─sockets.target @1min 30.529s
                └─docker.socket @1min 30.498s +30ms
                  └─sysinit.target @1min 30.493s
                    └─apparmor.service @979ms +695ms
                      └─local-fs.target @947ms
                        └─media-aj-VBox_GAs_5.2.81.mount @1min 39.649s
                          └─clean-mount-point@media-aj-VBox_GAs_5.2.81.service @
                            └─system-clean\x2dmount\x2dpoint.slice @1min 39.668s
                              └─system.slice @272ms
                                └─-.slice @266ms

I would like to understand the flow of the USB events form the Kernel space to the User space (just out of my curiosity, in knowing how things are implemented).

To be more clear, I would like to know how does that pop-up comes in my desktop when I plug a USB drive to my system and how does the drive gets mounted.

I would also like to know how it finds out if some images are present in my USB and if "yes" , how it asks me whether I need to open it in GIMP or some other software?

I know its a very big and wide question, but please guide me with some pointers on how to understand the whole idea behind it.

I have not done large code browsings, but I assure you that I have no problem in doing so if I can be guided correctly.

I installed quota using apt-get and followed some of the tutorials online.

I ran sudo edquota username which opened nano and gave a chart for me to edit. What does the chart mean when it says soft, hard, etc.?

Is there a proper tutorial for quota on Ubuntu? What's the official website for quota?

Or is there another option for setting user disk limits?

This is a community wiki. I would really like other folk's thoughts on this. I do not want to discuss the ethics of storing plain text passwords either.

For those unfamiliar, libpurple is the library used by Pidgin, and when you choose to save your passwords, it does so as plain text under ~/.purple/accounts.xml.

The reasoning behind this is that if someone can access your user account, you have bigger problems to worry about, among other valid points.

My main worry is that I use my gmail account in Pidgin, and so my gmail password is stored in plain text. Access to someone's email means access to 90% of their other accounts, via password recovery features on most sites. Eeek.

Consider that...

• My /home is encrypted, if someone gets physical access to the drive
• I always lock my system when I walk away
• I'm sensible about installing unofficial packages
• Any application I run in userland has access to my user files

How safe is this really? Are there any other threats that could potentially access accounts.xml?

Update

Thanks for the replies! So far have:

• Manage your firewall
• Use applications that store sensitive info securely (ie via Gnome Keyring)
• Use strong passwords and keep your system updated
• Symlink sensitive files from an encrypted ~/Private directory

I'm happy that my data is safe in case of theft. I'm more worried about some process crafted to target these unsecured files. Then again the nature of open source software makes it difficult for malicious apps, as public code review will expose the malicious code.

If you you can think of any other vectors through which these account details could be accessed, I'd like to hear them :)

I'm sharing my PC with my wife and my sister on regular basis. There are several issues when we switch from one user to another, such as the NetworkManager icon being present only on the first account (which is ridiculous).

A similar problem occurs when there is a DVD in the drive. When a second user logs in, the DVD cannot be seen (unmounted, ejected) until you physically eject the disk (i.e. press the button on the drive itself) and reinsert it.

My amateurish guess tells me that automount mounts the disk with the current user's permissions[citation needed] so the other can't unmount it. This is a bit absurd since every user has the "Mount user-space filesystems (FUSE)" and "Use CD-ROM drives" permissions (I am the only sudoer, though).

Is there any way this could be "fixed"? It's only a nuisance, but I can already see my co-users asking questions and being annoyed.. :)