git suddenly started putting up a dialog instead of asking for my password on the command line

[Joel Rees]

On Tue, Sep 22, 2020 at 11:23 PM Joel Rees <joel.rees at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Git has suddenly started putting up a dialog box to ask for my
> credentials instead of asking for my credentials at the command line.
>
> I found the suggestion to set the following git configuration,
>
>     git config --global credential.modalPrompt false
>
> but it doesn't change anything.
>
> Any suggestions what I might have installed, or what update might have
> changed this behavior?

And

On Tue, Sep 22, 2020 at 11:23 PM Joel Rees <joel.rees at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Git has suddenly started putting up a dialog box to ask for my
> credentials instead of asking for my credentials at the command line.
>
> I found the suggestion to set the following git configuration,
>
>     git config --global credential.modalPrompt false
>
> but it doesn't change anything.
>
> Any suggestions what I might have installed, or what update might have
> changed this behavior?

I finally had the presence of mind to search on the dialog box contents:

    "An application wants to access the private key but it's locked."

Found the following:

    https://superuser.com/questions/1359181/an-application-wants-to-access-the-private-key-but-its-locked-ssh

which talks about gnome-keyring (an unmaintained project?!?!?!) being
plugged into things without permission, and has a link to

    https://wiki.gnome.org/Projects/GnomeKeyring/Ssh

which explains the gnome project's official attitude about gnome-keyring.

Gnome keyring is the culprit. I assume it got plugged into my stuff
when I installed a bunch of keyboard practice apps or some such, along
with the vi alternatives being reverted back to nano (gag).

It explains that you can disable gnome-keyring's ssh-agent for a user by running

     gnome-session-properties

from the command line, and unselecting the "SSH Key Agent" startup
program. (On mine, it was the only thing there.)

I had to log out and back in to get the change to take effect, but it
solved the problem -- for now.

I'm planning on looking into building gnome-keyring with the
--disable-ssh-agent option.

${expletive} deleted.

-- 
Joel Rees

http://reiisi.blogspot.jp/p/novels-i-am-writing.html