Login problem in openSUSE 10.2

[Sephiroth_VII]

Okay, since Linux doesn't have a built-in nVidia driver, I'm trying to install one myself via safe mode.

However, when I'm prompted to enter my password, it can't detect that I'm writing anything! I'm able to enter my username, and anything else, but I can't write in the password field at all!

:drunks:

[Coded-Dude]

lol.....um it should either remain blank or show stars(*********) :troutslap:
Are you sure your entering your password correctly?

Anwyho, enter your password and hit enter, if you running text login it shoudl jsut drop you to a prompt.
Then you can "hack" away. ;-]

[BugenhagenXIII]

There's no visual feedback for entering your password. Just type it in and press enter.

[Sephiroth_VII]

Wait a minute, so it's supposed to stay blank!?

Logic fails...

Thanks for the help, guys!

[Garfunkel]

hahaha, no matter how many times i see that it still makes me laugh! LMAO!

It doesn't show any info so nobody can tell how long the password is or can trace your keystrokes, it is a very good security feature.

Did the driver install successfully?

[BugenhagenXIII]

No visual feedback on entering passwords is not a good security feature (though it doesn't hurt security). If someone's looking at your screen to see how long your password is, they might as well look at your hands as you type. No visual feedback is stupid, and should be changed.

[Garfunkel]

^i like it that way, IMO it's cool.

and if someone knows how long your PW is they can guess. for example my mom once hacked into my computer (back when i used ye' ol' crappy windoze) when it had 12 characters just by looking around my room at posters etc for clues.

EDIT: the only thing i don't like about it is that it can be annoying if you had your numpad off and thought it was on.

[BugenhagenXIII]

Like I said before, if they're there watching the screen as you type, they would have a much better chance of figuring out your password just by looking at your fingers as you type. No visual feedback does not enhance security.

[Garfunkel]

yes but not so when you type fast ;) i type my password so quick it has become a rythem.

[Coded-Dude]

Like I said before, if they're there watching the screen as you type, they would have a much better chance of figuring out your password just by looking at your fingers as you type. No visual feedback does not enhance security.

Actually somebody would have to be standing right over your shoulder to get a good look at the entire keyboard.
Just knowing whether its 6 chars, or 8 chars or even 4 chars would help a "hacker."
(which is easier to accomplish from anywhere in the room.)

It is added security

[BugenhagenXIII]

If they're in the room to begin with, they have physical access to the computer, so whether there's visual feedback or not is irrelevant. They could just restart in recovery mode.

That said, it would be more helpful to sneak a glance at what the person is typing, and have a general idea where each key is, than it is to just have the number of characters. That, and you can count how many characters there are as you watch them type, so you end up with more information than you would looking at the screen.

[Garfunkel]

again, not if they type fast ;)

[BugenhagenXIII]

If you type fast, it's just as hard to count how many characters on the screen.

[Gegenki]

I've tried watching someone type. It doesn't work.
I've also let friend's watch me type my password. It's much harder to watch a person type because you are trying to track 8 fingers and their thumbs if they use them for anything other than space. If you watch the symbols appearing on screen it is much easier in the same way that as you type you can watch what is coming up on screen as their is only 1 thing to track. Your eyes are pretty fast but can be easily distracted