How to create ubuntu server 16.04 autologin?

Question

Something has changed in server 16.04 LTS, I can't find tty1, but I need to make an auto-login on tty1 (in console mode), in 14.04 LTS I can make this work.

I can't find /etc/init/tty1.conf

How to, or a link?

Answer 1

I used this website to achieve auto-login: http://www.pcworld.com/article/259236/how_to_turn_your_laptop_into_a_typewriter.html.

sudo nano /etc/init/tty1.conf

Again, type your password if requested. You are now editing a configuration file, the last line of which starts with an 'exec' command. Replace that line with:

exec /bin/login -f USERNAME < /dev/tty1 > /dev/tty1 2>&1

Where USERNAME is your own username, of course. Be sure to type this line accurately. Then save the file (Ctrl+O) and exit (Ctrl+X).

Now, let's test again to make sure everything is working correctly. Reboot the computer to see if automatic login works:

sudo reboot now

Answer 2

In Ubuntu 16.04, which uses systemd, the method is slightly different. I'll quote the relevant bits of my related post How do I override or configure systemd services?:

Say I want to have TTY2 autologin to my user (this is not advisable, but just an example). TTY2 is run by the getty@tty2 service (tty2 being an instance of the template /lib/systemd/system/getty@service). To do this, I have to modify the getty@tty2 service.

[…]

In particular, I have to change the ExecStart line, which currently is:

$ systemctl cat getty@tty2 | grep Exec     
ExecStart=-/sbin/agetty --noclear %I $TERM

To override this, do:

sudo systemctl edit getty@tty2

And add:

[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=-/sbin/agetty -a <USERNAME> --noclear %I $TERM

[…]

Now:

$ systemctl cat getty@tty2 | grep Exec
ExecStart=-/sbin/agetty --noclear %I $TERM
ExecStart=
ExecStart=-/sbin/agetty -a <USERNAME> --noclear %I $TERM

And if I do:

sudo systemctl restart getty@tty2

and press CtrlAltF2, presto! I'll be logged into my account on that TTY.