onBoard cannot be used when prompting a password or to unlock the screen

[David Planella]

Binary package hint: onboard

I'm not sure if it's a design decision, but I've noticed that whenever the user is prompted for a password (e.g. when installing an application with Software Center), or when trying to unlock the screen, the onBoard window does not remain on top as usual, thus it cannot be used to enter passwords (and effectively to perform the associated actions).

[Francesco Fumanti (frafu)]

Could you please tell me whether you have activated the checkbox named "Password dialogs as normal windows" in the Assistive Technology control panel located under the System->Prferences menu?

If I get you right, you are not able to enter passwords in modal dialogs; activating the checkbox mentioned above should fix the problem with the modal dialogs.

[David Planella (dpm)]

Hi Francesco,

You are right, thanks for the heads up, activating the checkbox allows me now to input passwords within the session. I had not realized the option existed.

However, I'm leaving the bug open because even with that option enabled, when locking the screen (e.g. after a period of inactivity), onBoard cannot be used.

[Francesco Fumanti (frafu)]

I am wondering now whether on start onboard should not check the state of that gconf key and if it is not set, ask the user about whether onboard should activate it. Activating it without asking for permission might not be advisable because I don't know whether security issues are related to it.

Concerning the problem about the locked screen: do you have any idea how it could be solved?

[David Planella (dpm)]

> Concerning the problem about the locked screen: do you have any idea how it could be solved?

Unfortunately not

[Francesco Fumanti (frafu)]

Do you know what application is responsible for the locking of the screen?

In fact, I wonder whether a clean approach to the problem would not be to add an accessibility item to these applications; similar as to what has been for GDM!? (This way, the user that needs the accessibility tools would have a way to start them, similar as to what has been done for GDM.)

[Francesco Fumanti (frafu)]

Since version 0.93.0, onboard has an option to use the embedding feature of the gnome-screensaver. In other words, if "Show onboard when unlocking the screen" is checked in the onboard settings window, onboard will be available when the unlock screen dialog appears.

Does anybody know of another situation where onboard should be available? (Apart the fullscreen applications.)