GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 337060
Unclear wording of "Enter password" dialog to sign messages: "NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services"
Last modified: 2021-05-19 12:14:53 UTC
If I chose to digitally sign a message I get a password dialog before sending the message, so that I can access my certificates to sign it. The dialog says: Enter the password for `NSS User Private Key and Certificate Services' [cancel] [OK] First of all how many users knows what NSS stands for? I don't and I have been using Linux as my main desktop for more than five years. Second it is unclear what happens if I press cancel. Will the message still be sent, but just not unsigned, or will cancel the sending alltoghether. I would suggest: Enter password to access your private keys and certificates [Don't send] [Send] Other information:
that's a string that comes from the NSS library that Evolution uses to do the ciphering. Notice the single quotes around that string, it means that that is the name of the key that NSS is asking for a passphrase for. We can't go changing that string, because sometimes that string may be something more like `George's Private Cipher Key' As far as your OK/Cancel suggestion, you are probably right and on the right track... I might however suggest a slight modification, something more akin to: [Don't Send] [Encrypt and Send]
> As far as your OK/Cancel suggestion, you are probably right and on the right > track... I might however suggest a slight modification, something more akin to: > > [Don't Send] [Encrypt and Send] > I agree, but then you would have to have "Sign and Send", "Sign, Encrypt and Send" as alternative for these cases. Could you, or somebody else that have more knowledge of what types messages that comes from the NSS library, file a bug report with them, requiring more usable output. Gnome are now at a level of refinement with regard to usability, that small things like this are starting to look embarrassing.
also see bug 336305
I think the wording is clear. In firefox/mozilla, you have a nss password (security device password). Firefox calls this the master password. When you export a certificate from firefox, you have to enter your security device password. Then you have to create a password for the backup. This password can be different from the security device password. Now when you import a certificate in evolution, you are prompted for two passwords. you will need to enter both the nss security device password and the password created on backup of certificate.
GNOME is going to shut down bugzilla.gnome.org in favor of gitlab.gnome.org. As part of that, we are mass-closing older open tickets in bugzilla.gnome.org which have not seen updates for a longer time (resources are unfortunately quite limited so not every ticket can get handled). If you can still reproduce the situation described in this ticket in a recent and supported software version, then please follow https://wiki.gnome.org/Community/GettingInTouch/BugReportingGuidelines and create a new bug report ticket at https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/evolution/-/issues/ Thank you for your understanding and your help.