Chrome asks for Gnome Keyring password????

[John Aldrich]

Why does Google Chrome want my Gnome Keyring password? I don't use Gnome. I
use KDE/Openbox. It *only* happens when I'm accessing my computer from
remote using VNC, though. It does NOT happen when I'm accessing my computer
from the local console.

Don't know if that gives a hint as to why it's trying to open the Gnome
keyring, but I thought I ought to mention it.

[Patrick O'Callaghan]

Post by John Aldrich
Why does Google Chrome want my Gnome Keyring password? I don't use Gnome. I
use KDE/Openbox. It *only* happens when I'm accessing my computer from
remote using VNC, though. It does NOT happen when I'm accessing my computer
from the local console.
Don't know if that gives a hint as to why it's trying to open the Gnome
keyring, but I thought I ought to mention it.

Chrome is a Gnome app. So is Firefox. So is Thunderbird. The fact that
you're using KDE is irrelevant. The apps use the Gnome libraries and the
Gnome keyring.

As to why it only happens with VNC, I've no idea. Do you mean it happens
with each new VNC session, or with each new instance of Chrome? I use
Evolution under KDE and have to go through *two* password checks when
starting it in a new (local) login session, but within the session I can
stop and restart Evo with no further checks.

(BTW with F14 it used to be just one check. This is progress?)

poc

[John Aldrich]

Post by Patrick O'Callaghan
Chrome is a Gnome app. So is Firefox. So is Thunderbird. The fact that
you're using KDE is irrelevant. The apps use the Gnome libraries and the
Gnome keyring.
As to why it only happens with VNC, I've no idea. Do you mean it happens
with each new VNC session, or with each new instance of Chrome? I use
Evolution under KDE and have to go through *two* password checks when
starting it in a new (local) login session, but within the session I can
stop and restart Evo with no further checks.
(BTW with F14 it used to be just one check. This is progress?)

Ahh... I did not know that Chrome was a Gnome app. It appears that I can
close and restart Chrome within the same session and not get prompted. When
I go home and start Chrome on the local console, it does not prompt me for
a password, but the next day when I log in from remote (SSH tunnel still
going from the previous session) it will prompt me for a password again.

Basically the steps to reproduce are as follows:
1) Log in from remote -- password request
2) Close programs, close viewer, go home.
3) Start Chrome on the local console -- NO password request
4) Go to work, log in from remote, password request.

Almost like logging in on the local console is clearing a "cookie" or
something.

[Patrick O'Callaghan]

Post by John Aldrich

Post by Patrick O'Callaghan
Chrome is a Gnome app. So is Firefox. So is Thunderbird. The fact that
you're using KDE is irrelevant. The apps use the Gnome libraries and the
Gnome keyring.
As to why it only happens with VNC, I've no idea. Do you mean it happens
with each new VNC session, or with each new instance of Chrome? I use
Evolution under KDE and have to go through *two* password checks when
starting it in a new (local) login session, but within the session I can
stop and restart Evo with no further checks.
(BTW with F14 it used to be just one check. This is progress?)

Ahh... I did not know that Chrome was a Gnome app. It appears that I can
close and restart Chrome within the same session and not get prompted. When
I go home and start Chrome on the local console, it does not prompt me for
a password, but the next day when I log in from remote (SSH tunnel still
going from the previous session) it will prompt me for a password again.
1) Log in from remote -- password request
2) Close programs, close viewer, go home.
3) Start Chrome on the local console -- NO password request
4) Go to work, log in from remote, password request.
Almost like logging in on the local console is clearing a "cookie" or
something.

Not really. The way you describe it, your home console is always logged
on, so you don't need to be authenticated again. OTOH your remote
session via SSH is logged out when you go home (even though the SSH
connection remains open), so when you log in again next day you have to
present new credentials. The two sessions (home and remote) are
completely distinct and separate as far as keyring access is concerned.

This is consistent with what I'm saying.

poc

[John Aldrich]

Post by Patrick O'Callaghan
Not really. The way you describe it, your home console is always logged
on, so you don't need to be authenticated again. OTOH your remote
session via SSH is logged out when you go home (even though the SSH
connection remains open), so when you log in again next day you have to
present new credentials. The two sessions (home and remote) are
completely distinct and separate as far as keyring access is concerned.
This is consistent with what I'm saying.

I think I have resolved it... I pulled up the systemsettings GUI and
changed the default web browser to "google-chrome --
password-store=kwallet" and then restarted the VNC Server. That seems to
have resolved the issue when the steps on the Chrome FAQ didn't.

[mike cloaked]

Post by John Aldrich

Post by Patrick O'Callaghan
Not really. The way you describe it, your home console is always logged
on, so you don't need to be authenticated again. OTOH your remote
session via SSH is logged out when you go home (even though the SSH
connection remains open), so when you log in again next day you have to
present new credentials. The two sessions (home and remote) are
completely distinct and separate as far as keyring access is concerned.
This is consistent with what I'm saying.

I think I have resolved it... I pulled up the systemsettings GUI and
changed the default web browser to "google-chrome --
password-store=kwallet" and then restarted the VNC Server. That seems to
have resolved the issue when the steps on the Chrome FAQ didn't.

If you now switch on sync with a gmail account, then allow time for it
to synchronise... and then run it without the --password-store flag,
does that then allow sync to put the passwords in the local encrypted
sqlite file instead of kwallet after which you can then switch of
sync?

[John Aldrich]

Post by mike cloaked
If you now switch on sync with a gmail account, then allow time for it
to synchronise... and then run it without the --password-store flag,
does that then allow sync to put the passwords in the local encrypted
sqlite file instead of kwallet after which you can then switch of
sync?

Dunno. I'll give it a shot.

[John Aldrich]

Post by mike cloaked
If you now switch on sync with a gmail account, then allow time for it
to synchronise... and then run it without the --password-store flag,
does that then allow sync to put the passwords in the local encrypted
sqlite file instead of kwallet after which you can then switch of
sync?

NUTZ! Despite the fact that KWAllet was already open (for email) I still
got prompted for the freakin' password by Chrome! I guess I'll just live
with it! Frustrating and annoying as hell, though!!! I wish Chrome would
just store the freakin' passwords itself!!

[mike cloaked]

Post by John Aldrich
Why does Google Chrome want my Gnome Keyring password? I don't use Gnome. I
use KDE/Openbox. It *only* happens when I'm accessing my computer from
remote using VNC, though. It does NOT happen when I'm accessing my computer
from the local console.
Don't know if that gives a hint as to why it's trying to open the Gnome
keyring, but I thought I ought to mention it.

There was an issue some while ago related to chrome storing passwords
(for web pages) in the gnome-keyring which was largely transparent -
and then chrome moved to local encrypted store instead - if you are on
the most up to date version of chrome and had your passwords stored in
the gnome keyring then there is a procedure that will allow you to get
your passwords back into the local profile after which it will not
need the gnome-keyring any more.

The process is as follows:
Turn off password sync (if it is on) and quit Chrome
Restart it with the --password-store=detect command line to
temporarily enable GNOME keyring integration.
Re-enable password sync in Preferences, syncing your passwords to your
Google Account.
Restart Chrome without the --password-store=detect command line to add
your synced passwords to Chrome's basic password manager.

Once you have done that you should be free of gnome-keyring for
chrome, and then you can also copy the chrome profile to another
machine and it will see passwords as normal.

http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1230517

[John Aldrich]

Post by mike cloaked

Post by John Aldrich
Why does Google Chrome want my Gnome Keyring password? I don't use
Gnome. I use KDE/Openbox. It *only* happens when I'm accessing my
computer from remote using VNC, though. It does NOT happen when I'm
accessing my computer from the local console.
Don't know if that gives a hint as to why it's trying to open the
Gnome keyring, but I thought I ought to mention it.

There was an issue some while ago related to chrome storing passwords
(for web pages) in the gnome-keyring which was largely transparent -
and then chrome moved to local encrypted store instead - if you are on
the most up to date version of chrome and had your passwords stored in
the gnome keyring then there is a procedure that will allow you to get
your passwords back into the local profile after which it will not
need the gnome-keyring any more.
Turn off password sync (if it is on) and quit Chrome
Restart it with the --password-store=detect command line to
temporarily enable GNOME keyring integration.
Re-enable password sync in Preferences, syncing your passwords to your
Google Account.
Restart Chrome without the --password-store=detect command line to add
your synced passwords to Chrome's basic password manager.
Once you have done that you should be free of gnome-keyring for
chrome, and then you can also copy the chrome profile to another
machine and it will see passwords as normal.
http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1230517

Didn't work for me... :-(

[John Aldrich]

It's not THAT big a deal... I just have to type my login password again,
but it's annoying. :D