Bug 479084 – gnome 3.8 - unable to unlock lock screen "Authentication Error"

• Status: VERIFIED FIXED
• Product: Gentoo Linux

[Description Ooblick 2013-07-31 06:39:22 UTC]

After locking the screen on Gnome 3.8 it is impossible to unlock the screen. When the password screen appears it already has the text "Authentication Failure" on it. Attempting to enter a password and pressing enter to unlock has a spinner for a while, then "Authentication Failure" appears again.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Lock Gnome 3.8
2. Slide up to enter the unlock screen
3. Enter password and click "unlock"

Actual Results:  
"Authentication Failure" appears after step 2. Entering correct password does not unlock screen.

Expected Results:  
Entering correct password unlocks screen.

/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!   Failed to open reauthentication channel
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     message = '"GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.AccessDenied: No sessions for jonm available for reauthentication"'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     fileName = '"/usr/share/gnome-shell/js/gdm/util.js"'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     lineNumber = '254'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     stack = '"0 anonymous("result" = [object GObject_Object], "client" = [object GObject_Object])@/usr/share/gnome-shell/js/gdm/util.js:254
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: 1 wrapper([object GObject_Object], [object GObject_Object])@/usr/share/gjs-1.0/lang.js:213
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: "'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!   Exception was: TypeError: this._userVerifier is undefined
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     message = '"this._userVerifier is undefined"'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     fileName = '"/usr/share/gnome-shell/js/gdm/util.js"'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     lineNumber = '436'
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: JS ERROR: !!!     stack = '"(false)@/usr/share/gnome-shell/js/gdm/util.js:436
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: wrapper(false)@/usr/share/gjs-1.0/lang.js:213
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: ("Failed to open reauthentication channel",[object GLib_Error])@/usr/share/gnome-shell/js/gdm/util.js:249
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: wrapper("Failed to open reauthentication channel",[object GLib_Error])@/usr/share/gjs-1.0/lang.js:213
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: ([object GObject_Object],[object GObject_Object])@/usr/share/gnome-shell/js/gdm/util.js:265
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: wrapper([object GObject_Object],[object GObject_Object])@/usr/share/gjs-1.0/lang.js:213
/etc/gdm/Xsession[1874]: "'

[Comment 1 Ooblick 2013-07-31 06:40:34 UTC]

The above log comes from journalctl when unlocking attempting to unlock the screen. This system has systemd, no openrc and -consolekit.

[Comment 2 Ooblick 2013-07-31 06:45:17 UTC]

The actual message displayed in the unlock screen is "Authentication Error" - not "Authentication Failure". Sorry for this error, but as trying it means I have to reboot my machine I wanted to raise the ticket before confirming.

[Comment 3 Alexandre Rostovtsev (RETIRED) 2013-07-31 12:25:24 UTC]

This is a known bug in systemd-205 and 206.

You can apply the patch from http://cgit.freedesktop.org/systemd/systemd/patch/?id=cba38758b4d49c6fe7c2f0eea255e11ee9df23eb to fix it, or temporarily downgrade to systemd-204. Or wait until 206-r1 or 207 is released.

*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 477954 ***

[Comment 4 Ooblick 2013-07-31 19:04:45 UTC]

Thanks for the very helpful advice.