TechSource: How to Disable Guest Session in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

How to Disable Guest Session in Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail)

Posted: 05 Jun 2013 12:47 AM PDT

Ubuntu 13.04 (Raring Ringtail) came up with a lot of improvements. Firstly, it addressed the many problems that slowed the interface down, thus making the desktop run faster than ever. Moreover, it also brought along some decent changes to the default application set and the kernel. Though not groundbreaking in any way, Ubuntu 13.04 pleased its many fans that were waiting for some much-needed improvements to their favorite desktop.

Having said that, not all changes were welcomed with open arms. Much to the dismay of Ubuntu loyalists, some important features were removed. That's why, in our earlier article, we discussed how to get back those missing features without having to revert back to Ubuntu 12.10.

Talking about changes to the default installation, one of the things that bugs many people (and me personally) is that the Guest session is enabled by default. The Guest session allows you to use your Ubuntu desktop as a kiosk so that other people can temporarily use your desktop even if they don't have an account on your computer. As good as it sounds, the Guest session might put your computer at risk by allowing some unwanted users to access your computer. This vulnerability, though nothing worrying if you're using the computer at home, can let people use your computer by simply clicking the "Switch user" option on the login screen.

Thankfully, you can change the default settings and remove the Guest session by following these given steps. And, if you want the Guest session back, follow the whole article as we've also covered steps on how to revert back to the original settings.

Removing Guest Session

To get started, open the terminal: Either you can search for the word "terminal" in the Dash or you can use the Ctrl+Alt+T combo.

Then, either type in or paste the following command:

sudo /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-set-defaults -l false

Once you press enter, it will ask for your root password. If you don't know what your root password is, then contact the system administrator.

Now, once you're done, simply restart your computer. Or, if you don't want to restart your computer, enter the following command in the terminal:

sudo restart lightdm

Restoring Guest Session

Though many people don't use the Guest Session that often, it can be useful in certain situations. For example, if you have guests or family members coming over who want to use your computer while you're away, you can let them do that without compromising your privacy. In other words, they will be able to use your computer without creating a separate account.

To re-enable the guest session, which you disabled before, you'll have to open the terminal again. You can do that by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T. Then, all you have to do is type in or paste the following command:

sudo /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-set-defaults -l true

Once you're done, you can restart your computer. Or, you can simply restart lightdm using this command:

sudo restart lightdm