This post is an update to an article I wrote some years ago. There have been some changes in the configuration between now and then, so I felt this warranted an update. The original article in question is: Clearing or Resetting the GNOME keyring. This article addresses the issue where a user may have forgotten or otherwise become locked out of their keyring. The keyring, of course, allows for the management of SSH, GPG and other keys through a central tool and interface.
The problem
You are prompted by the system to enter your keyring passphrase in order to unlock additional keys. None of your passphrases work–somehow you have become locked out of your keyring. In this situation you may not be able to unlock needed keys, such as passwords, SSH or GPG keys.
The solution
The only solution that I’ve been able to come up with is to delete the keyring contents, including the incorrect or corrupt passphrase. Note: this will destroy all stored keys in the keyring, requiring that they be re-imported. Other than the need to “start over” with the keyring manager, this solution should be otherwise harmless.
Method 1:
It is possible to clobber your keyring passphrase and settings from the Terminal. Open a terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal), and run the command:
rm ~/.gnome2/keyrings/login.keyring
On older systems you may need to try:
rm ~/.gnome2/keyrings/default.keyring
Method 2:
The second method bypasses the Terminal and uses the graphical interface strictly. To delete your current keyring, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to Applications > Accessories > Passwords and Encryption Keys
- Select the far-right tab “Passwords”
- Select your keyring
- Right-click and attempt “Change Password” or, if that doesn’t work, select “Delete”
Additional:
If you continue to have problems I would suggest looking for additional tips in the comments here or here.
