5-year boy broke the Ubuntu Desktop (possibly others)

[zwuca]

My 5-year old son is addicted to computer games. I changed the password for the only account for the Ubuntu Desktop 10.10 yesterday. I got a call from my daughter this morning, who said my son was playing games again.

What? I didn't believe it. Then I thought I must have not changed my password. After I got home, I logged out the computer. I verified the password was indeed changed. Then I gave the computer to the 5-year and said, "If you can log on again, I'll buy you a new computer!".

Only a few minutes later, my daughter told me he logged on the computer. Geese, how was this possible?

I went to him and said, "Show me how you did it". He was reluctant. I promised him again he would get a computer if he showed me.

He was motivated. I saw he switched off the computer, powered on, then typed a few letters. Then I saw the desktop showed up without login screen. Geese! He broke the latest Ubuntu desktop.

Now, he asked me for a new computer. I was still in the shock -- " Yes, I will. But ten years later". He then was so mad.

[DeviantGuy]

Sounds like a hole in the system. Were the letters specific? or were they just random?

[zwuca]

The letters were random.

[deconstrained]

Is this what he did?
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/linux/reset-your-forgotten-ubuntu-password-in-2-minutes-or-less/
Root access = anything possible.

[zwuca]

That process is probably too complicated for the 5-year. I just saw he switched off the computer, powered on, then immidiately typed a few letters. I also verified the process by myself.

[Copper Bezel]

Now, he asked me for a new computer. I was still in the shock -- " Yes, I will. But ten years later". He then was so mad.

Most folks would be. = P

What was the sequence? Identify it, file a bug, then get the kid a computer. = )

[asmoore82]

That process is probably too complicated for the 5-year. I just saw he switched off the computer, powered on, then immidiately typed a few letters. I also verified the process by myself.

Your vagueness leaves much to be desired.
He chose "recovery mode" from the boot menu, yes?

[3Miro]

There is a way to go from grub straight into "root" mode, it would be little different in Ubuntu (as there is no root account), bit something along those lines would work too. This is implemented so that you can go back and fix your machine if something goes wrong. There should be a way to disable the "recovery" or whatever else the option is and possibly lock grub with a password.

If you give a person physical access to your machine, then you have to either trust them or go for a paranoid level of security (full HDD encryption and such).