Thunderbird ask for google calendar login (OAuth2) on every start

[adrianf0]

Originally, the issue was reported in the KeeFox project (link)

I confirm the problem hasn't been solved yet.

Setup:

• Thunderbird 52.9.1 (64bit)
• KeeBird 1.7.2 (although its name in Thunderbird is still KeeFox 1.7.2, ppa doesn't provide the latest package for xenial)
• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS (ppa: http://ppa.launchpad.net/dlech/keepass2-plugins/ubuntu)

[dlech]

FYI, I didn't check if the changes to keebird for TB 58 broke the older TB in xenial, which is why I didn't add it to the ppa for xenial.

For the issue at hand though, I think you might be able to work around the problem like this

And actually, I don't know that all those steps are required. I would start by temporarily disabling KeeBird/KeeFox. Then make sure signon.remembersignons is set to true in the advanced settings configuration editor. Then restart thunderbird a few times to see if it remembers the oauth token. If it doesn't, you might have to delete the calendar account and set it up again. Once thuderbird remembers the oauth token, you should be able to enable KeeBird/KeeFox again.

[adrianf0]

@dlech: Thanks for the tips.

I followed your brief guide. I confirm that with disabled KeeFox, Thunderbird remembers the oauth token. Restarting Thunderbird I had read/write access to the Google calendar without the login prompt.

Once I re-enable KeeFox, the issue of the Oauth login window comes back and I am being asked to authorize with every restart of Thunderbird.

[dlech]

Hmm... there must be a difference between the way that the Lightning plugin and Thunderbird mail accounts handle oauth. I know for mail accounts that they are still usable via a stored oauth when the password manager is disabled. I'm not sure there is really anything we can do with KeeBird at this point.

I think the best solution would be for Lightning to use the built-in oauth of Thunderbird instead of relying on the Google Calendar Provider extension that predates this and implements its own oauth.

[adrianf0]

I informed Lightning's developers:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1476330

[adrianf0]

@dlech : In order to solve the issue, could you answer questions in the Bugzilla thread which address implementation details?

[ludwigus]

I just wanted to note that this does not only affect google calendars (contrary to the issue title). I have the same issue for two different CalDAV servers (gmx.net and horde). KeeBird logs in to the mail accounts, but not to calendars.
I'm using Ubuntu 18.04, Thunderbird 60.2.1 with Lightning 6.2.2.1 (from Ubuntu repositories) and KeeBird 1.1.0.
Reading the Bugzilla discussion, I noticed that you are probably already very close to a solution.
Looking forward for a solution and would be happy if I could help by testing or so. Cheers!

[ar-ml]

Hi,
same problem here (Windows 10, Thundebird 60.5.0 (32-Bit), KeeBird 1.1.3, Provider für Google Kalender 4.4.2).

• Problem happens when Provider für Google Kalender tries to connect to the Google calender: No password auto-fill is happening. Password has to be re-entered manually after every TB restart.
• KeeBird message on top of the authentification window: "GERMAN: Keine passenden Einträge gefunden" English (translated by me): "No matching entry found."
  Is there a solution or a workaround for that by now?
  Cheers,
  Matt
  

[MichaelAxtmann]

Hello,

I get the same message as ar-ml.

Best,
Michael

[dlech]

Is this still a problem in Thunderbird 68?

[adrianf0]

As I reported on bugzilla, it's still an issue on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS which comes with Thunderbird 60.8.0. Apparently, the problem is on provider-for-google-callendar which needs to be updated with the fix. I haven't heard from the maintainer, @kewisch, to my request to do so.

[kkapsner]

The problem seems to be solved in Thunderbird 68 (testen on Windows). But I do not have the provider-for-google-calendar plugin installed.

[adrianf0]

It is still a problem on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS:

• Thunderbird 68.2.1
• Lightning 68.2.1
• GData 68
• KeeBirid 2.0.0

[lionslair]

This worked https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-GB/thunderbird/addon/provider-for-google-calendar/reviews/1159239/

[adrianf0]

Thanks, it solves the problem of adding the google calendara. However, I confirm that the problem of the login prompt with every thunderbird start has not been resolved yet.

[silversword411]

Google recently changed the oauth, and is rejecting when the useragent is thunderbird. We need to have Thunderbird's useragent pretend to be firefox

Goto Options | Advanced | Config Editor | Search for firefox and set Preference name: general.useragent.compatMode.firefox
to true.

Close and restart Thunderbird.

[adrianf0]

It doesn't solve the problem:
I had general.useragent.compatMode.firefox set to true already.

[danips]

It doesn't solve the problem:
I had general.useragent.compatMode.firefox set to true already.

I had the exact same problem and silversword411 suggestion worked for me. But I also had previously deleted access for Provider for Google Calendar in https://myaccount.google.com/u/1/permissions?pli=1&pageId=none. Give it a try.

[adrianf0]

It still doesn't work on my side.
I have general.useragent.compatMode.firefox set to true.
Following @danips suggestion, I deleted access for Provider for Google Calendar from Google account. I also deleted all Google Calendars in Thunderbird. I restarted Thunderbird, added successfully the Google calendar. After Thunderbird (v.68.2.1) restart, I still get logging prompt.

[danips]

Hi Adrian, I have one more suggestion. I normally just enter my google username without the @gmail.com and it always works on any Google site. The time it worked for me, I had to explicitly use the whole email address, all failed attempts before I did it the other way.

[adrianf0]

@danips : Thanks for the tip. I always use the whole e-mail address (including google domain).

[destgub]

From today I too have the same problem with Windows 10 64bit and Thnderbird 52.9.1 32bit + Provider for google calendar v.4.4.2
(On the latest version 68 it seems to work, but most of the other extensions work up only to version 52.9.1 of thunderbird)

[martinperreault]

I am at my wits end. I also experience this recurring login pattern every time I launch Thunderbird. Absolutely frustrating, and a terrible loss of time....

[martinperreault]

@adrianf0 I was having the same problem non stop. Finally the following worked for me, in this order (why it didn't before, I have no idea, and it was a serious annoyance, but finally now it seems to be ok at last!):
installed version: Thunderbird 68.4.1 x64
general.useragent.compatMode.firefox set to true (was already set to that).

1. remove authorization access for Google Provider in Google: https://myaccount.google.com/u/1/permissions?pli=1&pageId=none

2. In thunderbird, right-click on the Google Calendar and select UNSUBSCRIBE CALENDAR (this removes it)

3. Close Thunderbird, and reboot computer (this is the part I wasn't doing before. I don't know why the reboot would be helpful? Maybe a cache thing?)

4. Once Windows is restarted, launch Thunderbird, add calendar, go through login and authorization process.

5. Close and restart Thunderbird.

Finally this fixed my problem.

It is worth noting that at one point, I don't remember when exactly, I uninstalled Thunderbird and redid all my settings one by one as a fresh install, and migrated only my local emails from my previous profile to the newly created one. I do not know if this affected positively the process, or not.

Good luck! I feel your pain!

Martin

[adrianf0]

@martinperreault Thank you for your post.
I followed it, but it didn't help. It doesn't solve the problem.

[knoajp]

general.useragent.compatMode.firefox
to true.

just work for me. thanks @silversword411 !!
(Thunderbird 52.9.1, Mac)

[rickmech]

@adrianf0 I was having the same problem non stop. Finally the following worked for me, in this order (why it didn't before, I have no idea, and it was a serious annoyance, but finally now it seems to be ok at last!):
installed version: Thunderbird 68.4.1 x64
general.useragent.compatMode.firefox set to true (was already set to that).

1. remove authorization access for Google Provider in Google: https://myaccount.google.com/u/1/permissions?pli=1&pageId=none
2. In thunderbird, right-click on the Google Calendar and select UNSUBSCRIBE CALENDAR (this removes it)
3. Close Thunderbird, and reboot computer (this is the part I wasn't doing before. I don't know why the reboot would be helpful? Maybe a cache thing?)
4. Once Windows is restarted, launch Thunderbird, add calendar, go through login and authorization process.
5. Close and restart Thunderbird.

Finally this fixed my problem.

It is worth noting that at one point, I don't remember when exactly, I uninstalled Thunderbird and redid all my settings one by one as a fresh install, and migrated only my local emails from my previous profile to the newly created one. I do not know if this affected positively the process, or not.

Good luck! I feel your pain!

Martin

Thanks Martin,
I have been working on this issue since my latest upgrade to Thunderbird 68.8.0. Your recommendations worked perfectly! The troubleshooting attempts made me a lot more familiar with Thunderbird, which has been my email client for more than a few years. Thanks again!

[adrianf0]

My experience is that issue hasn't been solved yet.

Ubuntu 18.04 LTS:

Thunderbird 68.10.0
Lightning 68.10.0
GData 68.2.1
KeeBirid 2.0.1