To configure the Desktop to auto-login (Ubuntu MATE 14.04) add an autologin-user
line specifying your user name to the /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/60-lightdm-gtk-greeter.conf
file. For example:
[SeatDefaults]
greeter-session=lightdm-gtk-greeter
autologin-user=srackham
Conf files in the /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/
directory are cascaded into the lightdm login manager in alpha order.