Lightdm-webkit2-greeter no longer accepts the password submission (due to webkit2gtk)

[D.Dave]

Hi, after today Stable update ([Stable Update] 2022-10-05 - Kernels, Systemd, AMDVLK, Deepin, Pamac, QEMU, Thunderbird, Firefox, 0 A.D., Gradience, Linux Firmware, WINE, GNOME, Pipewire)

I’ve found that the login greeter, when set to lightdm-webkit2-greeter in /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf, no longer works. I mean: I can type in the password, but it no longer accept the enter key, nor the click to login, so I cannot login (I can switch to tty and execute “startx”): I tried to change the theme, but this doesn’t help. Switch back to lightdm-gtk-greeter, instead, works as expected.

What can/should I check?

EDIT:
Another user faced the same:

[Stable Update] 2022-10-05 - Kernels, Systemd, AMDVLK, Deepin, Pamac, QEMU, Thunderbird, Firefox, 0 A.D., Gradience, Linux Firmware, WINE, GNOME, Pipewire

After this update, I can no longer log into my system using XFCE as normal. That is, at the password prompt, when I type in my password and hit enter or the widget that tells the login manager to accept the password, absolutely nothing happens whatsoever. If I ctrl-alt-F2 I can get to a terminal, and successfully log in, but of course I don’t have the desktop at that point. I think maybe something is broken with lightdm-webkit2-greeter. I haven’t figured out how to resolve this yet.

EDIT 2:
As reported here: Lightdm hangs on login - #3 by allanadja

downgrade webkit2gtk to 2.36.7, solve the issue.

[banjo]

Workaround:

Instead of downgrading webkit2gtk to 2.36.7 (wich is a partial update state) better change to lightdm-slic-greeter.

[D.Dave]

Yep, but I prefer the look (and theme) of lightdm-webkit2-greeter. I am aware of the possibilities/risks of a downgrade; I will wait for a fix, which will be the solution instead of a workaround.

[bogdancovaciu]

[Stable Update] 2022-10-05 - Kernels, Systemd, AMDVLK, Deepin, Pamac, QEMU, Thunderbird, Firefox, 0 A.D., Gradience, Linux Firmware, WINE, GNOME, Pipewire

Ah, okay. So, the workaround for others: Ctrl-Alt-F2 to a terminal. Login. sudo nano /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf Comment out the line with greeter-session=lightdm-webkit2-greeter Create a new line with greeter-session=lightdm-gtk-greeter Save your file. Run pacman -S lightdm-gtk-greeter Those steps at least got me running again. I’m listing them here to help someone else who might stumble into this.

[linux-aarhus]

Even a long time user may forget what may cause a system malfunction after an update

• [root tip] [How To] Update Manjaro the smart way

If a greeter breaks on update - it is likely the theme which is the culprit - the theme may rely on removed functionality or renamed functionality.

If the theme is in the official repo - it may have been forgotten - perhaps deprecated.

I any case it is v2.38.0 which is in both Arch and Manjaro repo.

[D.Dave]

@linux-aarhus

it is likely the theme which is the culprit

Nope:

@D.Dave

I tried to change the theme, but this doesn’t help

The culprit is webkit2gtk:

@D.Dave

downgrade webkit2gtk to 2.36.7, solve the issue.

[linux-aarhus]

@D.Dave

downgrade webkit2gtk to 2.36.7, solve the issue.

Yes - I read your comments.

Also the one where you prefer fixes to workarounds - Linux is all about workarounds

If you check the Packages web and search for webkit2 you will find that all related packages was updated the same day.

Another topic referring to back-in-time issue on Arch forum and eventually the Arch bugtracker

• Can no longer log in after most recent update - #17 by bogdancovaciu

The webkit greeter was a project of Antergos and the project is not developed anymore (archived)

• GitHub - Antergos/web-greeter: A modern, visually appealing greeter for LightDM.

Comment on Arch bugtracker with reference to the webkit-greeter

Edit: I think project is abandonned, repository is readonly, I will switch to lightdm-gtk-greeter, this one works
– FS#70099 : [gobject-introspection] lightdm-webkit2-greeter fails to run now since gobject-introspection update

This brings me back to my statement on theme maintenance as the greeter is depending on the Gnome theme API which has changed and is a likely cause for the greeter to fail.

[D.Dave]

I filed a bug:
https://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=246206

[D.Dave]

webkit2gtk 2.38.1-1 (received in today system update) has solved the issue.