I have the Enigmail 2.0.9 plug-in installed with SeaMonkey x64 2.49.4 on my linux mint x64 18.3 (sylvia) system and am encountering an unusual problem with pass phrase prompting. This only came to my attention recently, as I actually attempted to use the plug-in for the first time yesterday after installing it back in October, 2018 here.
I have no problem sending a signed or encrypted message, as when I installed the plug-in and sent some initially signed emails to people I hoped to share encrypted email with I had the SeaMonkey Password Manager remember my pass phrase. So I am NEVER prompted for the pass phrase when sending a signed or encrypted email.
The problem is when I receive an encrypted email. If a long time has elapsed since I last sent an enigmail message I DO get prompted for the pass phrase, which IS a problem as I didn't write it down as I was supposed to do and given never having to use it for three months I have forgotten what it i! Given that the pass phrase is in the SeaMonkey Password Manager I am surprised I am getting prompted. If I knew HOW it was saved there I could look it up and recall it from there manually when prompted, but I don't know what keyword to search for.
I am presently working around this by sending email to the robot, which allows me access for a while I have not yet defined.
Can anyone tell me how the pass phrase would be stored in the Password Manager. I would assume there is something entered for "site" that should distinguish the entry for me.
Dave
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The passphrase for an OpenPGP key is handled by GnuPG. GnuPG does not know of SeaMonkey or Thunderbird. The passphrase is therefore not stored in the SeaMonkey Password Manager. If at all, it would be stored in the password manager of your Linux desktop environment, but that's not very likely.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
My pass phrase is being remembered somewhere. Here is the behavior I observe:
I had to restart SeaMonkey this morning. After starting it if I select a message that has encryption a pop-up requests my pass phrase. At the same time SeaMonkey opens a pop-up offering to save the password. As I cannot remember my pass phrase I cancel out of this and the message is not displayed and an error message shows that the pass phrase is missing.
I created a new message to edward-en@fsf.org signed and encrypted. I hit send and at that point the email is sent, WITHOUT A PROMPT FOR THE PASS PHRASE! From this point on I can select any encrypted message and it will be displayed properly.
I have since realizing this set the basic preference for a pass phrase timeout to a high value so that I don't need to keep sending wake-up messages all the time. I see there is also a basic preference to never ask for any pass phrase, but I assume that is only useful if the system was set up without a pass phrase required.
This behaviour leads me to believe that when I initially set up the system in October that the first time I was prompted for the pass phrase SeaMonkey likewise offered to save it and I did so. This would explain my ability to send a signed or encrypted message without being prompted. At that point I did not contact anyone who could respond with a signed or encrypted message, so I only encoutered the need to receive such a message a few days ago.
Dave
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I have the Enigmail 2.0.9 plug-in installed with SeaMonkey x64 2.49.4 on my linux mint x64 18.3 (sylvia) system and am encountering an unusual problem with pass phrase prompting. This only came to my attention recently, as I actually attempted to use the plug-in for the first time yesterday after installing it back in October, 2018 here.
I have no problem sending a signed or encrypted message, as when I installed the plug-in and sent some initially signed emails to people I hoped to share encrypted email with I had the SeaMonkey Password Manager remember my pass phrase. So I am NEVER prompted for the pass phrase when sending a signed or encrypted email.
The problem is when I receive an encrypted email. If a long time has elapsed since I last sent an enigmail message I DO get prompted for the pass phrase, which IS a problem as I didn't write it down as I was supposed to do and given never having to use it for three months I have forgotten what it i! Given that the pass phrase is in the SeaMonkey Password Manager I am surprised I am getting prompted. If I knew HOW it was saved there I could look it up and recall it from there manually when prompted, but I don't know what keyword to search for.
I am presently working around this by sending email to the robot, which allows me access for a while I have not yet defined.
Can anyone tell me how the pass phrase would be stored in the Password Manager. I would assume there is something entered for "site" that should distinguish the entry for me.
Dave
The passphrase for an OpenPGP key is handled by GnuPG. GnuPG does not know of SeaMonkey or Thunderbird. The passphrase is therefore not stored in the SeaMonkey Password Manager. If at all, it would be stored in the password manager of your Linux desktop environment, but that's not very likely.
My pass phrase is being remembered somewhere. Here is the behavior I observe:
I had to restart SeaMonkey this morning. After starting it if I select a message that has encryption a pop-up requests my pass phrase. At the same time SeaMonkey opens a pop-up offering to save the password. As I cannot remember my pass phrase I cancel out of this and the message is not displayed and an error message shows that the pass phrase is missing.
I created a new message to edward-en@fsf.org signed and encrypted. I hit send and at that point the email is sent, WITHOUT A PROMPT FOR THE PASS PHRASE! From this point on I can select any encrypted message and it will be displayed properly.
I have since realizing this set the basic preference for a pass phrase timeout to a high value so that I don't need to keep sending wake-up messages all the time. I see there is also a basic preference to never ask for any pass phrase, but I assume that is only useful if the system was set up without a pass phrase required.
This behaviour leads me to believe that when I initially set up the system in October that the first time I was prompted for the pass phrase SeaMonkey likewise offered to save it and I did so. This would explain my ability to send a signed or encrypted message without being prompted. At that point I did not contact anyone who could respond with a signed or encrypted message, so I only encoutered the need to receive such a message a few days ago.
Dave