Every time you turn on your Ubuntu Linux machine, the GNOME Display Manager (GDM) intercepts the boot process and forces you to stare at a login screen. You must select your username, type a complex password, and wait for the desktop to load. While this is crucial security for laptops or office environments, it can be incredibly tedious if you are using Ubuntu on a secure desktop computer sitting entirely alone in your private home office.
If you are not concerned about physical security and simply want your computer to boot directly to the desktop as fast as possible, you can completely bypass the login screen. You can configure Ubuntu to automatically log into your primary user account the moment the system finishes loading the kernel.
How to Enable Auto Login in Ubuntu Linux
You can enable automatic login directly from the graphical user settings panel.
- Click the network/battery icon cluster in the top-right corner of the Ubuntu top bar and select Settings (the gear icon).
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, scroll down to the very bottom and click on Users.
- By default, these settings are locked. Click the Unlock… button located at the top-right of the Users window.
- Enter your current user password when prompted and click Authenticate.
- Ensure your primary user account is selected in the list.
- Look for the toggle switch labelled Automatic Login.
- Click the toggle switch to turn it On.
- Close the Settings window.
The change takes effect immediately. The next time you restart your Ubuntu machine, it will completely skip the GDM login screen and boot straight to your GNOME desktop, saving you significant time during startup. Note that you will still be required to enter your password when attempting to execute administrative tasks via the sudo command in the terminal.