|
Patch reliability is unclear, but widespread attacks make patching prudent. Go ahead and patch, but watch out for potential problems. |
Running Mate 20.3, from day 1 set for automatic login, no p/w needed. A running battle with PayPal has led me to set up 2-factor login. To do that I need the default p/w assigned by Mate. Anyone know how to find it?
Authenticator app requires this identifier, shows the message I used for the topic title.
Try System Settings/Users and groups. In the Users tab click on your account, then click on password and see if you can change it and/or there’s a box to click to show the password.
Take a read of the following link to a thread from the Mint forums. Please read the whole thing before deciding if it will help, although it sounds to me as if it might well help you get rid of the message and start from scratch by entering an actual password that you can later change using the method(s) described in the thread.
https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=348117
I hope this helps, at least a bit to get things going in hopefully the right direction.
P.S. I found the link above by googling the exact error message you received and carefully picking through the results.
My Passwords and Keys acts just like your description in the Mint Forum, except that Login isn’t locked. If I double click on Login I get a list of 2 programs – Chrome and Chromium – that I never use.
I do not have auto login. Every time I boot the computer (or install updates, etc) I need to enter a password that I set up when I installed Mint. I don’t know if that password is called (or also called) the keyring password.
I gather PayPal is demanding you use 2 factor authentication or verification. Are they also demanding that you use the authenticator app you refer to above? Surely they must have other ways to carry out 2 factor verification; text message, phone call to land line or cell phone, email, etc.
The password used for Synaptic, Updates, etc is not the “root” p/w that unlocks the keyring. Tried it just to confirm. On the install I always opt for automatic login- no password entry needed. Since posting this I have found some wisdom on that “keyring” password. Several sites say that the default user name is mint and the root p/w is blank. One example here:
https://www.tecmint.com/reset-forgotten-root-password-in-linux-mint/
What I haven’t found out is whether resetting the root p/w will allow auto-login afterwards. We don’t want to have to log in when booting the computer. I’m just going to walk away from the issue but keep the bookmarks that explain how to reset that root p/w in case I ever need that going forward.
The PayPal issue is this: their system is set up to dispense with password-required login after x number of logins at the same ip address, i.e. the same computer. P/P agents are not able to override this policy. But P/P also offers two-step verification as an option, which then requires an “authenticator” app, which in turn needs that root p/w.
Currently whenever I pay online with P/P (my preferred option) the site sends me an email that announces the switch to no-p/w-needed login, but I can undo it on the P/P site- until the next purchase. Looks like the easiest path is to keep undoing their switch, assuming the account is protected until the next transaction. I’m sure it’s “for my convenience.” Grrr.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if the root password is still ‘blank’. (assuming that’s what it was to begin with since I doubt you’ve changed it). Maybe the authenticator app will just take that as the p/w.
I deal with a handful of financial sites and none of them require an authenticator app for 2 factor verification. Most give me a choice between a call or text to a cell phone (mobile phone), a call to a landline phone, or an email. All of these sites recognize my computer(s) even before I enter a user name or password, so they know the computer is legit. They just don’t know if the user is legit. I’m surprised PP doesn’t give you more options – for your convenience!
Anyway, sounds like walking away for a while is a good strategy.
Well… color me lazy, I’m going to let this sleeping dog lie.
The authenticator is not from P/P, it’s an app I downloaded in the course of trying to set up that 2-step business. For now I’ll stay with the workaround mentioned earlier.
Donations from Plus members keep this site going. You can identify the people who support AskWoody by the Plus badge on their avatars.
AskWoody Plus members not only get access to all of the contents of this site -- including Susan Bradley's frequently updated Patch Watch listing -- they also receive weekly AskWoody Plus Newsletters (formerly Windows Secrets Newsletter) and AskWoody Plus Alerts, emails when there are important breaking developments.
