Common Keyring: KDE and GNOME Combine Password Management Efforts
KDE and GNOME developers drafted a secret storage API designed to be a common interface for desktop applications that need to store passwords and other confidential data.
Stef Walter of GNOME Keyring and Michael Leupold of KDE Wallet Manager jointly hit upon the secret storage API idea. Both applications store passwords, encryption keys and certificates.
The combined functions are designed to be available on all desktop applications. A Keyring or Wallet-like process should run as a daemon to run other programs over a standard interface. The as yet unnamed secret storage API should run on a D-Bus framework for interprocess communication in desktop environments.
Much like D-Bus, the project should find its home on FreeDesktop.org, the platform for desktop specifications extending beyond the GNOME and KDE projects to the larger open source desktop community. The two projects are thereby making a serious step at implementing their plans to revive FreeDesktop.org expressed at the Gran Canaria Desktop Summit in early July.
The common initiative's wiki includes a link to the specification's version 0.1 working draft. The discussion on the subject will occur on the FreeDesktop.org Authentication mailing list.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.
-
Linux Kernel 6.14 Released
The latest Linux kernel has arrived with extra Rust support and more.
-
EndeavorOS Mercury Neo Available
A new release from the EndeavorOS team ships with Plasma 6.3 and other goodies.
-
Fedora 42 Beta Has Arrived
The Fedora Project has announced the availability of the first beta release for version 42 of the open-source distribution.
-
Dash to Panel Maintainer Quits
Charles Gagnon has stepped away as maintainer of the popular Dash to Panel Gnome extension.
-
CIQ Releases Security-Hardened Version of Rocky Linux
If you're looking for an enterprise-grade Linux distribution that is hardened for business use, there's a new version of Rocky Linux that's sure to make you and your company happy.
-
Gnome’s Dash to Panel Extension Gets a Massive Update
If you're a fan of the Gnome Dash to Panel extension, you'll be thrilled to hear that a new version has been released with a dock mode.
-
Blender App Makes it to the Big Screen
The animated film "Flow" won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature at the 97th Academy Awards held on March 2, 2025 and Blender was a part of it.
-
Linux Mint Retools the Cinnamon App Launcher
The developers of Linux Mint are working on an improved Cinnamon App Launcher with a better, more accessible UI.
-
New Linux Tool for Security Issues
Seal Security is launching a new solution to automate fixing Linux vulnerabilities.