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Bug 713745 - Support Google 2-step verification
Support Google 2-step verification
Status: RESOLVED FIXED
Product: geary
Classification: Other
Component: client+engine
unspecified
Other All
: High normal
: ---
Assigned To: Geary Maintainers
Geary Maintainers
: 733132 (view as bug list)
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
 
Reported: 2011-12-19 06:33 UTC by Adam Dingle
Modified: 2019-03-31 13:11 UTC
See Also:
GNOME target: ---
GNOME version: ---



Description Charles Lindsay 2013-11-21 20:22:27 UTC


---- Reported by adam@yorba.org 2011-12-19 10:33:00 -0800 ----

Original Redmine bug id: 4516
Original URL: http://redmine.yorba.org/issues/4516
Searchable id: yorba-bug-4516
Original author: Adam Dingle
Original description:

If a user has Google 2-step verification enabled, Geary will currently crash
when they attempt to log in. See comments 2-14 in 4312. It would be great
if we could let such users log in somehow, or at least provide a helpful error
message if they can't.

Related issues:
duplicated by geary - 5941: GMail and 2-step verification (Duplicate)
duplicated by geary - Feature #7060: Support two-step authentication (Duplicate)



---- Additional Comments From geary-maint@gnome.bugs 2013-08-13 11:16:00 -0700 ----

### History

####

#1

Updated by John T. 5 months ago

How can this issue be "high" priority but not a target for any milestone?

Adam Dingle wrote:

> or at least provide a helpful error message if they can't.

Sure, and then claiming to "support" Gmail will be a completely and utterly
bogus claim.

####

#2

Updated by Jim Nelson 5 months ago

John T. wrote:

> How can this issue be "high" priority but not a target for any milestone?

There are a lot of tickets with High priority; we have to choose some times.

> Sure, and then claiming to "support" Gmail will be a completely and utterly
bogus claim.

That's specious thinking, especially since a lot of people are using Geary
with Gmail every day.

These tickets are for constructive comments toward completing issues and
making Geary a better application. Please keep that in mind.

####

#3

Updated by Chris Smart 3 months ago

If you have two-factor authentication set for your account you can still use
geary by generating a single-use application specific password for it. This is
the way apps normally work when they don't have full two-factor
authentication.

This is done by logging into your gmail account in a browser (which requires
two-factor to prove yourself) and then setting the password.

You can then use this password for geary. I've just done it, and it works
well.

Log in, then browse to:

https://security.google.com/settings/security

Select "Manage your application-specific passwords" under the "2-step
verification" section on the main page and then create an application specific
password.

Perhaps this sort of information could be made available in some geary help or
when you try and add a Gmail account.

In the end, this means geary does support all gmail accounts, including those
with two-factor authentication.

####

#4

Updated by Jim Nelson 3 months ago

  * **Category** set to _server-support_

Thanks for the great information. Since I don't think we're going to have time
to make any changes for 2-step auth this version, I've added this to the FAQ.



--- Bug imported by chaz@yorba.org 2013-11-21 20:22 UTC  ---

This bug was previously known as _bug_ 4516 at http://redmine.yorba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=4516

Unknown version " in product geary. 
   Setting version to "!unspecified".
Unknown milestone "unknown in product geary. 
   Setting to default milestone for this product, "---".
Setting qa contact to the default for this product.
   This bug either had no qa contact or an invalid one.
Resolution set on an open status.
   Dropping resolution 

Comment 1 Eternal Sorrow 2014-05-15 11:36:32 UTC
I have no idea why, but using a single-use application specific password doesn't work for me. I tried to generate new password some times, but it always returns "Wrong login or password".
Comment 2 Robert Schroll 2014-07-13 22:22:07 UTC
*** Bug 733132 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
Comment 3 Federico Bruni 2015-03-25 10:52:51 UTC
(In reply to Eternal Sorrow from comment #1)
> I have no idea why, but using a single-use application specific password
> doesn't work for me. I tried to generate new password some times, but it
> always returns "Wrong login or password".

I enabled 2-step verification two days ago and the application specific password is working fine. I'm using geary from git master.

I suggest trying again.
Comment 4 wilf 2015-11-26 14:35:30 UTC
Any chances of updating the link on the Gnome FAQ page (https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary/FAQ)? Currently the best link seems to be:

https://security.google.com/settings/security/apppasswords

Google keep fiddling with where they put stuff/what they call it.

Thanks!
Comment 5 Michael Gratton 2016-07-20 04:47:03 UTC
Hey wilf,

(In reply to wilf from comment #4)
> Any chances of updating the link on the Gnome FAQ page
> (https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary/FAQ)? Currently the best link seems to be:
> 
> https://security.google.com/settings/security/apppasswords
> 
> Google keep fiddling with where they put stuff/what they call it.

Thanks for the heads-up. Trying that link I get the following message:

> The setting that you are looking for is not available for your account.

What seems to work for me at the moment is the following:

https://myaccount.google.com/security?pli=1#connectedapps

Does that also work for you?
Comment 6 The Black Hole 2016-08-30 20:35:34 UTC
Hi !

Same issue with Micro$oft's two steps authentication (for outlook.com) : you still can create an app password (https://account.live.com/proofs/AppPassword) but it will be nice if geary will support 2-step auth natively :)


> Thanks for the heads-up. Trying that link I get the following message:

> > The setting that you are looking for is not available for your account.

It's working for me. Have you activated the 2-step auth in your account ?
Comment 7 Dariusz Deoniziak 2017-07-12 15:12:41 UTC
Hi, I have tried to follow steps from there: https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary/FAQ#Using_Google.2BIBk-s_2-Step_authentication

But when I go to https://myaccount.google.com/security?pli=1#connectedapps there is basicly no button to enable less secure apps.

Started reading this: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6010255?hl=en
then I went to link provided in the instruction, less secure apps section: https://myaccount.google.com/lesssecureapps

Unfortunately when I go to last link I got the message that this setting is unavailable because I have enabled 2-steps verification and I need to generate password for app (just like mentioned in this thread earlier).

The best way was to go directly to this page: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185833

I suggest to update FAQ for Geary, otherwise it is little complicated.
Comment 8 nelsontruran 2017-08-14 22:57:26 UTC
You can use Geary with 2 step authentication enabled.\
1. Create an app password: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
2. Make sure you have IMAP enabled in your gmail settings.
Comment 9 Mihajlo Milenovic 2017-09-24 10:21:19 UTC
Problem with app passwords is that geary periodically forgets password and you then need again to create app password in google, and that is PITA.
Comment 10 Michael Gratton 2017-09-25 03:19:38 UTC
(In reply to Mihajlo Milenovic from comment #9)
> Problem with app passwords is that geary periodically forgets password and
> you then need again to create app password in google, and that is PITA.

Forgetting the password is actually a bug in gnome-keyring/libsecret (see Bug 778357). This has been fixed in those repositories, but there is a work around for Geary in Bug 714128. If you can apply that patch and rebuild, then let me know if that helps out I will apply it to the tree.
Comment 11 Michael Gratton 2017-09-25 03:20:35 UTC
(In reply to nelsontruran from comment #8)
> You can use Geary with 2 step authentication enabled.\
> 1. Create an app password: https://myaccount.google.com/apppasswords
> 2. Make sure you have IMAP enabled in your gmail settings.

Thanks for pointing this out. I have updated the FAQ to reflect there is a different process depending on if you have 2-factor auth enabled for you Google account or not.
Comment 12 Federico Bruni 2017-09-25 04:29:22 UTC
The fix in libsecret was made in February, but the latest release (0.18.5) happened 18 months ago:
https://git.gnome.org/browse/libsecret/

So we should wait for version 0.18.6
Comment 13 Michael Gratton 2019-03-31 13:11:31 UTC
We now aren't crashing, but still need to report to the user that they need to go check in with Google. See https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/geary/issues/352 for that.