I have a fresh install of Mandriva 2006 on my desktop with KDE (dual boot, though I don't believe this affects my problems).

First problem: when I boot into linux, it always requires me to login with a userid and password. This is after the lilo part where I select the OS, but before KDE loads up. Previously it would boot right into KDE as a user. I'm betting there's a setting for this , but I can't find it. How do I boot right into my desktop without logging in?

Second problem: Previously when I selected 'Log Out' from the menu it gave me three options; Reboot/Shut Down/End Current Session. Now I only get 'End Current Session' as an option when I logout. How do I set up the system so that I can also select 'Reboot' and 'Shut Down' as options when I selecte logout?

TIA.

When you boot up are you getting the GUI or the command line? If your getting the graphics, it sounds like you're using XDM. If you want auto login, and the other options when you're shutting down, you can use KDM. These are login managers. I can't tell you exactly how to switch them. You could have a look at the control centre for login options.

You need to enable autologin in the Mandriva Control Center on the Boot tab.
You need to install KDM (K Display Manager, probably in the kdebase-kdm package, search it in the Software Installer).

I happen to have the control centre open and I've had a problem involving the same tools.

The section you want in the control centre is "Boot". It sounds as though you already have a graphical login manager. You don't want to use one anyway.

The command you want is "Enable autologin and select the user to automatically log in". That gets you "Launch the graphical environment when your system starts." Tick that. Then select the second option "Yes, I want autologin ...".

I don't understand how anyone can be so secure as to use autologin.

I installed mdkkdm, to no avail. I checked the boot section of the config, and it's already set to autologin with a user selected.

(My system is firewalled from the outside, and it's secure phsyically, so I'm not concerned about the security of an autologin).

If you're using kde then you'll already have kdm. There shouldn't be any need to install anything. Have a look at the fourth post on this thread.

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...&highlight=xdm

In that case, you can use the control centre >System >"Choose the display manager...."

That's not necesseraly true. You can use KDE without KDM. But even if you don't use KDM you need to have it installed to have the reboot and halt option in KDE AFAIK.

Synopsis of this problem:
I'd installed a fresh copy of Mandriva 2006. I ended up with the default desktop and not KDM. I installed KDM through the configuration GUI which mostly worked, with two exceptions. First it required a username and password prior to the desktop launching, and secondly when I selected 'logout' I didn't get the choices 'reboot' and 'shutdown'.

Resolution:
In /etc/sysconfig/desktop change this line:
DISPLAYMANAGER=XDM
to
DISPLAYMANAGER=KDM
and reboot.

This immediately resolved both problems.

Thanks for everyone's assistance, I appreciate the help.