How can I change `~/.face` file for an account in Lubuntu? I want a picture for each user.

[frn2000]

I don't want to edit a PNG file (200 x 200 px) in Gimp or other program. Is there a facility in Lubuntu (not another Ubuntu flavor) where I can change information for my account, which could also let me change the log-in image (~/.face)? Thank you.

 

[guiverc]

I suspect you asked before on Lubuntu's discourse (or I've read this somewhere recently)... I'll check & add a reply (or at least better reply) there (if that was you).

I'll refer you to our manual

Chapter 3.1.8 SDDM configuration — Lubuntu Manual 23.10 documentation

manual.lubuntu.me

That link is for our latest stable release, which is Lubuntu 23.10; you didn't mention release, but if using 22.04 LTS for example you can change the stable in the URL to be lts and see the 22.04 manual page.

Thus for me to change the default ICON to be the image you see besides my name on this site, I used

cp -pv ~/Pictures/on_guard/smaller.jpg ~/.face.icon

That is exactly as covered in our manual, however alas that didn't work, as a change in permissions (for sddm) requires an extra step the manual page (as it stands currently) doesn't mention.

I also had to run

setfacl -m u:sddm:x /home/guiverc
setfacl -m u:sddm:r /home/guiverc/.face.icon

which gave the SDDM process (ie. our greeter or DM we use at login) access to my user directory (that is denied by default!)

I then restarted sddm forcing it to re-read the file (I was logged into a text terminal for above commands) and the picture appeared.

( I'm sure I've seen the request before, but I've not found it sorry. I've thus massaged the above into a doc found at https://discourse.lubuntu.me/t/changing-the-image-of-your-greeter-sddm-face-pic/4768 )

 

[KGIII]

I also had to run

setfacl -m u:sddm:x /home/guiverc
setfacl -m u:sddm:r /home/guiverc/.face.icon

That explains why I couldn't figure it out!

 

[guiverc]

That explains why I couldn't figure it out!

There was a permissions change related to $HOME that mandates those extra steps... alas I can't recall when, and thus what release it impacts.

( it only impacted new installs, as release-upgrades from a prior release kept the older permissions meaning those setfacl permissions won't be necessary for all users, ie. it'll depend on what release their system was installed on; at least that's my belief based on my lousy memory )

 

[KGIII]

There was a permissions change related to $HOME that mandates those extra steps... alas I can't recall when, and thus what release it impacts.

( it only impacted new installs, as release-upgrades from a prior release kept the older permissions meaning those setfacl permissions won't be necessary for all users, ie. it'll depend on what release their system was installed on; at least that's my belief based on my lousy memory )

That makes even more sense as I didn't play around on my real install but rather chose to poke at a VM. I didn't invest a ton of effort. I'll know for future reference.

 

[frn2000]

Lubuntu's discourse was down for about a week. Maybe someone pulled a cable somewhere. (The latter happened to a company I worked for. Someone tripped over the CAT5, which was unprotected on the floor, connected to the web server.)

I suspect you asked before on Lubuntu's discourse (or I've read this somewhere recently)... I'll check & add a reply (or at least better reply) there (if that was you).

Thank you for the information from the manual.

Chapter 3.1.8 SDDM configuration — Lubuntu Manual 23.10 documentation

manual.lubuntu.me

I should have indicated the version. Yes, I'm using 23.10.

That link is for our latest stable release, which is Lubuntu 23.10...

That's a lot of steps for something Xubuntu can do with a simple GUI.

Thus for me to change the default ICON to be the image you see besides my name on this site, I used

cp -pv ~/Pictures/on_guard/smaller.jpg ~/.face.icon

That is exactly as covered in our manual, however alas that didn't work, as a change in permissions (for sddm) requires an extra step the manual page (as it stands currently) doesn't mention.

I also had to run

setfacl -m u:sddm:x /home/guiverc
setfacl -m u:sddm:r /home/guiverc/.face.icon

which gave the SDDM process (ie. our greeter or DM we use at login) access to my user directory (that is denied by default!)

I then restarted sddm forcing it to re-read the file (I was logged into a text terminal for above commands) and the picture appeared.

( I'm sure I've seen the request before, but I've not found it sorry. I've thus massaged the above into a doc found at https://discourse.lubuntu.me/t/changing-the-image-of-your-greeter-sddm-face-pic/4768 )

 

[frn2000]

This reminds me what happens where I work. Someone makes changes on my server without telling me and then I get screamed at because my web app fails.

That makes even more sense as I didn't play around on my real install but rather chose to poke at a VM. I didn't invest a ton of effort. I'll know for future reference.

 

[KGIII]

This reminds me what happens where I work. Someone makes changes on my server without telling me and then I get screamed at because my web app fails.

I do a lot of testing in a VM, especially if it's going to change my system from my preferred configuration. I do a lot of stuff to help others, including installing software and messing around with settings - or even installing different distros just so I can answer questions about those distros.

Virtual Machines are awesome.

 

[guiverc]

Lubuntu's discourse was down for about a week. Maybe someone pulled a cable somewhere. (The latter happened to a company I worked for. Someone tripped over the CAT5, which was unprotected on the floor, connected to the web server.)

The infrastructure was moved (changed also) which also required DNS & other changes to reflect that change (those are done by Canonical; we can RT or send a ticket, but we cannot control when they get to it).

This reminds me what happens where I work. Someone makes changes on my server without telling me and then I get screamed at because my web app fails.

Anyone can subscribe to ML or mailing lists where changes are reported BEFORE the changes actually are done/implemented, with those impacting the development release first. I'm using Lubuntu noble or the current development release so I tend to see those changes first; but the change to the file-system didn't initially impact me as it only impacted new installs, and my install at the time was older & thus lived by the older rules. I've since re-installed (30-Aug-2023) thus the change no doubt was before then, but whilst I vaguely recall reading/noting it at the time, I've since forgotten it (and haven't cared enough to search my inbox for it).

It wasn't a Lubuntu change, but a file-system change that impacted ALL flavors and all Ubuntu desktop installs.

That's a lot of steps for something Xubuntu can do with a simple GUI.

Lubuntu uses the sddm DM, which has easy GUI configuration tools for KDE Plasma (thus requires KDE Frameworks 5 to function), thus adding that code onto a light Lubuntu/LXQt system to me is overkill & extremely wasteful for something that is rarely used.

LXQt aims to be light; is DM agnostic, thus has no direct control over what DM the distro or end-user decides to use.

When Lubuntu switched to sddm I didn't actually like it, thus I didn't use it myself. However as this box has five screens, and I regularly don't have them all turned on; I decided sddm was useful given the login appeared on all & wasn't impacted by some of my displays being off when I turn the box on. . thus even I switched to using sddm.

FYI: I really like Xfce & Xubuntu; but Lubuntu asked me to join their team PRIOR to an offer from Xubuntu, thus why I'm now known in the Lubuntu circles. You won't get any disagreement from me in regards Xubuntu being a great system