Ubuntu
gnome-keyring-manager package

Why doesn't the keyring ask for a password since gutsy?

Asked by David Fokkema

In 7.04 and below, on logon I'm always asked for a password to access the keyring. That password is used (or so I was told) to encrypt the keyring and decrypt it on access. Therefore, I know my passwords stored in the keyring are inherently safe. Even the gutsy live cd asks for a password when I enter a wep key for the first time.

However, since installing gutsy, my system automatically logs on my wireless network without asking for a password. I can access the password in the keyring without being asked for anything. Therefore, I'm sure that my keyring contents aren't safely encrypted, but merely confuscated. How can I configure the keyring to ask for a password? And why isn't this the default anymore?

Thanks,

David

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Ubuntu gnome-keyring-manager Edit question
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James Taji
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Best James Taji (james.taji) said : 		#1

Gutsy is now using libpam-keyring, or actually now it's been renamed to libpam-gnome-keyring, by default. Many people have been using this pre-Gutsy to automatically unlock the keyring upon login, but it wasn't included by default.

So in 7.10 your keying would have the same password as your user, and libpam-gnome-keyring is used to unlock it upon login.

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David Fokkema (dfokkema) said : 		#2

Thanks, so while I thought it was merely obfuscated, it was already unlocked upon login. Nifty!

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-=Dante=- (brenford) said : 		#3

Is there any way to force the Keyring to revert back to its old behavior (ask for a password when the keyring is opened). I don't like leaving my passwords so easily accessible.

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Simon Sprünker (simons.spruenker) said : 		#4

If your login password and your keyring password are different, the keyring is not unlocked automatically when you login and you are asked for the password if an application needs to access it.
For information on how to change the password see https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-keyring-manager/+question/17929

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-=Dante=- (brenford) said : 		#5

Thanks for the suggestion Simon. After deleting the default keyring and logging out/in, it still unlocks automatically, and trying to remove the keyring manager from synaptic tells me i have to uninstall gnome desktop along with it. As I'm not willing to go that, I guess I'm out of luck. Thanks again for the link.