Enter password to unlock your login keyring

[ursoouindio]

The password you use to log in to your computer no longer matches that of your login keyring.

I would like to understand and manage whatever this keyring is about.

I've been using (for some weeks now) this pc, at first it already has an old Ubuntu installation on it and someone else has configured it in order that my user (that he configured and used some simple password) had the needed rights to administrate it. Then (on the same week), I thought it was convenient to format it and reinstall a newer Ubuntu. During the installation, it got my user's configurations.
Now, suddenly, I started to get this messages and have to insert that very first password that the other person have chosen to me, as the keyring password.

I've had this kind of problems other times (at home, in other pcs...), and never found where to find this keyring thing and what exactly it does.

I've passed the phase of getting annoyed by it, so now I would like to understand it and make a proper use of it.
How do I manage it?
How can I change the keyring password to match my login password? (as I believe it is how it doesn't disturb when it isn't needed)

Thanks!

[mcduck]

The keyring is used to store passwords, encryption keys and stuff like that for all programs. The idea is to keep them all in one place, and automatically encrypt them when you re not logged in to make sure nobody can get your passwords even if they are able to read the contents of your computer.

IF your keyring password and login password are set to same, the keyring will be unlocked automatically for you when you log in. If the password are different, or you use automatic login, you need to give the keyring password when some program tries to unlock the keyring. Usually this happens immediately when you log in, when the Network Manager tries to get the key for wireless network from the keyring.

To change the keyring password you can simply go to Applications/Accessories/Passwords and Encryption Keys. Right-click the "Passwords:login"-keyring and select "Change Password".

Edit: If you use automatic login, and don't want to type in your keyring password, you can just leave the fields for new password empty. That will store keys in unencrypted format, losing most of the security, but if you use automatic login then you probably don't worry about security anyway. otherwise just set the keyring password to same as your login password.

[ursoouindio]

Thank you, mcduck!

I've made the change you suggested, it accepted the old password and I changed it to the same password I use to login. I believe it will behave now.

Maybe its just me, but I think this keyring thing quite confusing.
Whenever there is some problem with passwords it mentions the keyring, while there isn't (I think so) a "keyring" configuration anywhere.

Also, (just an opinion) this Password and Encryption Keys configuration should be on the System menu, under Administration. I had found it earlier where it is, but it was the last place where I searched for. And also, when I found, it didn't seem to be about that "keyring". If it was clearer, I wouldn't need to ask here.

[mcduck]

I agree that System/Preferences would be a better place for the Passwords and Encryption Keys -tool (Preferences instead of Administration since the Administration-menu is for admin tools that affect the whole system and all it's users, while the user's personal settings are under the Preferences-menu. And every user has his own keyring). Actually I always move it to System/Preferences myself. I sure don't know why Gnome developers choose to keep it under the Applications-menu.

[naomibrown]

Thanks for your reply! This was helpful to me today

[oenghus]

mcduck,

Another voice adding thanks for your help. In my case, it seemed I started having troubles with the keyring when I upgraded to 10.4.

I was not able to actually change my password so I deleted it, restarted, and created new passwords and keyrings from scatch. It worked like a charm.

Thanks again!

[jpaugh64]

Hello. I am having similar trouble with my login keyring: It prompts me to enter it when I log in. However, I have just made a clean install of Lucid Lynx, and have never changed my password--either for the login keyring or to log in. Any ideas?

[ursoouindio]

Me too.
Although I have fixed it at work, I still have this kind of problem at home.

I needed to change the login and administrator password to a trivial one, because it is more convenient to everyone who uses that pc.

So, since the password is too simple, I needed to change with the following commands: (ubuntu doesn´t allow you to choose a simple password)
$ sudo passwd *****
$ sudo passwd myuser *****
(the same password)

And changed the one in the Accessories/Passwords to the very same password.

But it keeps asking for the keyring password (which is the trivial one) when trying to connect to the wireless network.

[ursoouindio]

Any idea how to solve this keyring annoyance?

Maybe to reset the keyring/administrator/login passwords all at once??

[Wellis]

Many thanks for the info. I followed your instructions and now keep my fingers crossed.