Keyring password prompt after login

[Chris Roberts]

After logging into Ubuntu 12.04 (not auto-login), a few seconds later, and before the desktop becomes usable, the "Unlock keyring" prompt appears, with the explanation "An application wants access to the keyring "Default", but it is locked".

Screenshot attached.

The desktop is not usable until the password is entered, as the dialog grabs keyboard focus. Whilst you can open a terminal, for example, you cannot type into it.

I managed to disable this by running Ubuntu One and unticking "Connect automatically when computer starts" and "Allow all notifications to this device" (the latter probably unnecessarily).

I am unsure whether this issue is unique to Ubuntu One, a bug in Seahorse, or a failure in Unity login not unlocking the keyring; hence I am logging as Unity at this stage.

There seem to be two aspects to this bug:

1. The user does not know why he is being asked for his password, but has no alternative but to provide it, which I would have thought was a security issue.

2. The user is being asked to enter their password twice, which is a UI issue.

I have tested also in Ubuntu 12.10 and the problem does not appear; although the 12.10 is a fresh install.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: unity 5.18.0-0ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-37.58-generic 3.2.35
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-37-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.0.1-0ubuntu17.1
Architecture: i386
CompizPlugins: [core,bailer,detection,composite,opengl,compiztoolbox,decor,imgpng,move,vpswitch,gnomecompat,place,unitymtgrabhandles,grid,resize,regex,mousepoll,snap,wall,session,animation,workarounds,expo,fade,scale,ezoom,unityshell]
Date: Tue Feb 12 15:09:37 2013
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
MarkForUpload: True
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB:en
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: unity
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to precise on 2012-07-22 (204 days ago)

[Dave Morley (davmor2)]

Hi Chris 3 Questions:

1. I'm assuming you are using auto login (Ie you don't add a password to login to your system) is this correct?
2. Do you have empathy installed and online accounts setup if so what happens if you open empathy with out ubuntuone being opened?
3. Am I right in thinking that when you login to ubuntuone it triggers the password dialog box to open once you had disabled u1 start on boot?

If number one is yes then it is an issue with the login system not unlocking the keyring on login. This happens for several apps that access the keyring. If however it works for empathy which I'm pretty sure is one that triggered it then there might be a fix available now that our team don't know about.

Many thanks for the bug.

[Chris Roberts (chrisjrob)]

Thanks for your swift response Dave...

1. No, I am not using auto login.

2. Empathy is installed, but is not running, according to ps aux | grep empathy.
If I run Chat, then yes it prompts for keyring password immediately.

3. Correct.

[dobey (dobey)]

Hi Chris,

Is your keyring password different from your log-in password? If so, this means the keyring will not be automatically unlocked when you log in, and you will have to type in a password when any application wishes to talk to it.

[Chris Roberts (chrisjrob)]

Hi Rodney

No the keyring password is definitely the same as the login password. I literally have to type one and then the other - so categorically the same!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[dobey (dobey)]

This is an issue in gnome-keyring. If the keyring password and login password are the same, then the keyring should be getting unlocked on login, unless auto-login is being used.

[ariel cornejo (arielco)]

Dave:

> 1. I'm assuming you are using auto login (Ie you don't add a password to login to your system) is this correct?
> If number one is yes then it is an issue with the login system not unlocking the keyring on login. This happens for several apps that access the keyring.

Why all keyboard input hijacked then? I even see my startup applications come up. If at any time I go to Passwords and Keys (seahorse) and lock the Login keyring, after a while the dialog will come up and programs stop responding to keyboard input.