Authentication is required for suspending the system

[Bernd Schubert]

Automatic suspend from the xfce power manager does not work, as a window opens and asks for my password. Well, if it wants to suspend the system after a given timeout, I cannot enter my password as I'm not in front of my system then. Once I'm able to enter my password it is too late to run the suspend action.

The window asking for my password prints:

Password: <field-to-enter-the password>

Details

Action: org.freedesktop.login1.suspend
Vendor: The systemd project

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: systemd 229-4ubuntu7
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-31.50-generic 4.4.13
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-31-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Thu Jul 21 13:13:12 2016
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-08-17 (703 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140722.2)
MachineType: LENOVO 4236ML1
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.4.0-31-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro intel_pstate=enable
SourcePackage: systemd
SystemdDelta:
 [EXTENDED] /lib/systemd/system/systemd-timesyncd.service → /lib/systemd/system/systemd-timesyncd.service.d/disable-with-time-daemon.conf
 [EXTENDED] /lib/systemd/system/rc-local.service → /lib/systemd/system/rc-local.service.d/debian.conf

 2 overridden configuration files found.
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to xenial on 2016-05-28 (53 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 07/05/2013
dmi.bios.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.bios.version: 83ET76WW (1.46 )
dmi.board.asset.tag: Not Available
dmi.board.name: 4236ML1
dmi.board.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.board.version: Not Available
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Information
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: LENOVO
dmi.chassis.version: Not Available
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnLENOVO:bvr83ET76WW(1.46):bd07/05/2013:svnLENOVO:pn4236ML1:pvrThinkPadT420:rvnLENOVO:rn4236ML1:rvrNotAvailable:cvnLENOVO:ct10:cvrNotAvailable:
dmi.product.name: 4236ML1
dmi.product.version: ThinkPad T420
dmi.sys.vendor: LENOVO

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Henry J. Douglas (cyberdoug42-deactivatedaccount)]

There's also a message in the upper corner saying, "Power Manager: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NoReply: Method call timed out."

Using Xubuntu 16.04

[Zack Smith (zack-smith)]

This is an annoying bug that hasn't been addressed in the two and a half years it has plagued Ubuntu with the Xfce desktop. One can find bug reports going back to 14.04 after a faulty patch broke suspend. Fortunately for the terminally-skilled among us, the workaround is here:

http://askubuntu.com/questions/543921/authentication-required-before-suspend

[SHY (yelled)]

Thanks much appreciated. Hey, it's a free & wonderful system. Minor glitch at best. I will get better sleep from now. :)

[Markus Kwaśnicki (mrkskwsnck)]

I also went into this issue "system is asking for authentication to suspend" running Xubuntu 17.04 Zesty Zapus.

But luckily I figured out, this behaviour came when I set "lock session automatically when screensaver is activated" in the security tab of XFCE power management. Setting it back to "never", suspending the system is working without authentication again.

Hope that hint helps finding some better solution.

[chrisc1073 (chrisc1073)]

I have the same problem using XFCE on Ubuntu 17.10. But Markus's solution does fix the problem.

My setup is as follows:

In XFCE Power Manager under the security tab set:
Automatically lock the session to "Never"

Uncheck "Lock the screen when the system is going for sleep".

Under the display tab I still blank the screen after 15 minutes. Put to sleep and Switch off times appear to be disabled (greyed out).

Under the system tab I still have system sleep mode going to "Suspend" after an hour.
Interestingly the screen still locks when it suspends.

So everything still works fine and as I want it to. I get a full screen white on black message when I activate the machine again telling me the screen is locked and to wait a few seconds for a dialog box to appear. Haven't seen that before but fine nonetheless.

[Mike Dev (mike-dev)]

Another way that seem to fix the problem is to create a file named /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/enable-suspend.pkla with this content:

[Enable Suspend on Idle]
Identity=unix-user:*
Action=org.freedesktop.login1.suspend
ResultAny=auth_admin_keep
ResultInactive=yes
ResultActive=yes

Reboot isn't seem to be required. Seem to be more secure as there is no need to disable session locking.

[Bernd Schubert (aakef)]

Another solution is to switch from lightdm to gdm or xdm, at least suspend works for me ever since I did that.

[bill (wjtbill)]

I'm using Mint 19.2 XFCE. I went with chrisc1073 setup and things seem to be working fine. Thanks for the help.