** Description changed:
- On Ubuntu 25.10, the GDM login screen no longer remembers its own volume
setting, and it defaults to 100% volume on every boot. This is a critical issue
for users of the Orca screen reader, as the voice is now extremely loud.
- In previous non-LTS versions, the login screen and the user session had
separate, persistent volume settings. This bug, which appeared in 25.10, makes
the login screen unusable for me without immediately muting or lowering my
speakers.
- [Steps to Reproduce]
- * Boot the computer to the GDM login screen.
- * While on the login screen, lower the volume from the default 100% to a
comfortable level (e.g., 50%).
- * Reboot the computer.
- * When the GDM login screen appears again, the volume has reset to 100%, and
the Orca screen reader is blaring.
- [Expected Behavior]
- The GDM login screen should remember its own volume setting, independent of
the user session volume. If the volume is set to 50% on the login screen, it
should still be 50% after a reboot.
- [Additional Context]
- * This bug started immediately after upgrading to Ubuntu 25.10.
- * This feature (the login screen remembering its own separate volume) worked
correctly on previous versions.
- * This is a significant accessibility regression, possibly related to the
new isolated user environment for the GDM login screen in GNOME 49, which seems
to prevent the system from saving the login screen's volume preference.
+ [ Impact ]
+
+ On Ubuntu 25.10, the GDM login screen no longer remembers its own volume
+ setting, and it defaults to 100% volume on every boot. This is a
+ critical issue for users of the Orca screen reader, as the voice is now
+ extremely loud.
+
+ In previous non-LTS versions, the login screen and the user session had
+ separate, persistent volume settings. This bug, which appeared in 25.10,
+ makes the login screen unusable for me without immediately muting or
+ lowering my speakers.
+
+ The bug is related to the new isolated user environment for the GDM
+ login screen in GNOME 49, which inadvertently prevented auto-started
+ user services, like pipewire and wireplumber, from saving settings in a
+ persistent way.
+
+ This is solved by introducing a new step in the log-in manager set up:
+ it now writes a `~/.config/environment.d/gdm.conf` file in the greeter
+ user home for `systemd --user` to pick up on startup, including
+ variables XDG_STATE_HOME and XDG_CONFIG_HOME pointing to persistent
+ storage as opposed to their default ephemeral storage.
+
+ [ Test Plan ]
+
+ * Boot the computer to the GDM login screen.
+ * While on the login screen, lower the volume from the default 100% to a
comfortable level (e.g., 50%).
+ * Reboot the computer.
+ * Verify that the GDM login screen has remembered its own volume setting:
+ if the volume is set to 50% on the login screen, it should still be 50%
after a reboot.
+
+ [ Where problems could occur ]
+
+ The patch is written to minimize regression potential. If the new
configuration step were to fail for any reason, GDM is allowed to continue as
before without writing the new config file.
+ If the new logic were to cause a crash, it would be immediately visible as
the log-in screen failing to appear.
+
+ [ Other Info ]
ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 25.10
Package: gdm3 49.0.1-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.17.0-6.6-generic 6.17.1
Uname: Linux 6.17.0-6-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.33.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun Nov 16 09:57:50 2025
InstallationDate: Installed on 2025-11-14 (2 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 24.04.1 LTS "Noble Numbat" - Release amd64
(20240827.1)
ProcEnviron:
- LANG=en_US.UTF-8
- PATH=(custom, no user)
- SHELL=/bin/bash
- TERM=xterm-256color
- XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
+ LANG=en_US.UTF-8
+ PATH=(custom, no user)
+ SHELL=/bin/bash
+ TERM=xterm-256color
+ XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
SourcePackage: gdm3
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to questing on 2025-11-15 (2 days ago)
** Changed in: gdm3 (Ubuntu)
Status: In Progress => Fix Committed
** Changed in: gdm3 (Ubuntu Questing)
Status: Triaged => In Progress
** Changed in: gdm3 (Ubuntu Questing)
Assignee: (unassigned) => Alessandro Astone (aleasto)
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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2131628
Title:
Accessibility: Orca volume is 100% on GDM login screen and does not
respect last setting.
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