#1418 start minimized doesn't work on linux

[Alex Efros]

I'm using Keepass-2.30 in Gentoo Linux with Fluxbox window manager and Mono-2.10.9.
There is a problem with "start minimized" feature.

Here is my settings related to minimizing:

• [x] Close button minimizes main window
• [X] Minimize to tray instead of taskbar
• [X] Minimize main window after copying data to clibboard
• [X] Minimize main window after locking the workspace

All of them works just fine. There are two more options which can be used to "start minimized":

• [ ] Minimize main window after opening a database
• [ ] Start minimized and locked (on Advanced tab)

and I've issues with both.

When I enable "Start minimized and locked":

• when keepass start I don't see it main window, but I see both tray icon and taskbar button
• when I press taskbar button I see keepass's window border without any content inside - i.e. it does start minimized, but minimized to taskbar instead of tray, and maximizing window from taskbar doesn't show content of that window
• when I press [X] close button of that window it just minimize back to taskbar and doesn't close
• when I double-click on tray icon I get dialog asking to unlock db, and then I see keepass main window with just one small issue - it doesn't have menu bar and toolbar doesn't have any icons; after double-clicking on tray icon once again main window became fixed (menu bar appears, toolbar show all icons) and clicking [X] close button now correctly minimize keepass to tray icon, removing it from taskbar

When I enable "Minimize main window after opening a database" it first ask for db password but after that it works exactly as described above.

To work around this issue I'm starting keepass in this way (with both options disabled):

{
sleep 3
keepass &>/dev/null &
while ! wmctrl -l | grep -q KeePass; do sleep 0.05; done
xdotool windowminimize --sync $(wmctrl -l | grep KeePass | awk '{print$1}')
} &

which is overcomplicated and annoying.

[Alex Efros]

BTW, this isn't 2.30-only issue, I had this issue in all versions I used before: 2.25, 2.27, 2.28, 2.29.

[Paul]

This isn't a KeePass bug, it's a limitation of mono / Linux.
Your workaround is a great compromise.

cheers, Paul

[Alex Efros]

I'm not sure this is correct. Thing is, in other places minimization of Keepass windows works just fine - for example, when I use auto-type to fill form, when I click menu items like "Copy User Name" or "Copy Password" or "Copy String -> ...", or when I manually click [X] close button of keepass window.

[Paul]

Have you tried it in other Linux flavours / without Fluxbox?

cheers, Paul

[Alex Efros]

No.

[Marc Schumann]

Fwiw (possibly a separate bug), "start minimized and locked" doesn't work on Windows 10 x64 either, when auto-starting KeePass on login. It does work on Windows 7 x64 with identical (KeePass.config.xml copied) settings, and on both when starting KeePass manually.

[Paul]

W10 seems to be the same as 7 & 8, i.e. no issues.
What happens with your machine?

cheers, Paul

[Marc Schumann]

Well, KeePass wants to unlock the database during autostart and asks for my master password on a secure desktop.

I'd expect it to start into the tray instead, and only ask for the master password when actually invoking it from the tray (click or hotkey).

[Paul]

That sounds like you may have 2 copies running and the second copy triggers the first to open. Turn off auto-start and see if it starts minimised and locked.

cheers, Paul

[Dominik Reichl]

Thanks for reporting these issues. I can reproduce them on both Kubuntu 15.10 and Ubuntu Mate 15.10 (caused by Mono bugs).

In KeePass 2.31, the two options will be disabled on Linux. Of course that's not a very satisfactory solution, but I don't see how a reasonable workaround could look like.

On Windows, the options work fine.

Here's the latest development snapshot for testing:
http://keepass.info/filepool/KeePass_151228.zip

Best regards,
Dominik

[Marc Schumann]

Thanks, Paul, for the hint and for bearing with me. Your guess was right, KeePass indeed starts up by some other means, so the second start makes it pop up.

Now I need to find out what causes the second startup, but that's a thing on my end.

[carbohydrates]

Dominik, that is indeed an unsatisfactory solution...I was wondering why that option was grayed out in Linux and found this thread.

This really affects how keepass works on Linux, it is nearly unusable in my window manager.

The small password-entry window pops up, and that's perfect - but then after that, the whole screen is covered by the main keepass window. I can manually close it, and then manually bring all of my windows back, one by one, but it really impedes actually using keepass...

If this isn't resolved soon I'm afraid I will have to find a different password manager, with a better workflow :(

[Alistair Bell]

For reference in case anyone else gets here first.
See https://sourceforge.net/p/keepass/discussion/329220/thread/5a14d949/
"To get back the two minimization options, run KeePass.exe with the following parameter: -wa-disable:1418"
Startup, prompt for password and then minimise is working for me on Mint 19 Cinnamon, (Mono 4.6.2). A new convert to a password manager, thanks.

[popy2007]

Thanks a lot for the hint. The option is accessable again, but sadly when launching keepass this way the described issue poped up and i have an black window :-(

Any hints how do you managed an cleaned minimized startup on mint?
i am on mint 19.3.

@dreichl: do you have any news/workaround on this mono bug?

thx a lot

[Alistair Bell]

I'm afraid I also subsequently switched to KeepassXC, currently using the PPA by phoerious.

[Alex Efros]

Sorry, I've switched to KeepassXC long time ago.

[popy2007]

Thx, already installed it.
Missing an gdrive plugin.
Now trying to add my google account to cinnamon but it is syncing to long and just showing "Loading..." in nemo.

How do you achieve gdrive access for KeepassXC?

thx

[Paul]

Rclone or Drive will work, or it's built in to Gnome.

cheers, Paul