"Sorry, password authentication didn't work. Please try again." - After install

So after my latest episode Login Issue after recent update, I was unable to login back into the user (for some reason after a reboot it stopped working). I then decided that I would re-install the OS. At this point, I’ve re-installed around 3-4 and this issue is still persisting.

What happens:

  • When i first login into my user after a successful distro install, all things work great. I don’t install any distro updates (as per the previous issue I’ve experience mentioned above) but rather just install the packages that I need. Whenever I restart or even logout, I am no longer able to login back into my user, either via a tty or gnome DE, whenever I attempt to login I get “Sorry, password authentication didn’t work. Please try again”. Regardless of what I do, or the ammount of times I re-install, I don’t get why it is happening. My only guess is that I’m installing the packages without actually updating the distro, but updating it breaks my DE and also makes the figerprint software go crazy (on login, I get failed attempts by my fingerprint reader, but my hardware model is not even compatible with the software).

So now I’m here. This is my work laptop, and I’ve been running manjaro since 2018 and rarely experienced any issue overall, although this time it is killing my work as i can’t reliable use it. Any ideas ?

Edit: I was able to login as root, but not as my normal user.

If it is the fingerprint reader that is to blame does blacklisting the fingerprint hardware or just removing fprintd solve the issue? This post might help you to disable the hardware.

During one of the install, I thought that issue was caused because I removed fprintd and libfprint, but that was not the case.

Also my current issue is not related to the fingerprint.

So to narrow it down - if you provide username and password - you are allowed to login?

But if you use the fingerprint reader your login fails?

The system does not forget a password - so if you are denied login at the display manager - how does it work at TTY?

And if you are denied login at TTY using the normal username not root then your password input is incorrect.

So to narrow it down - if you provide username and password - you are allowed to login?

No as my user but yes as root.

But if you use the fingerprint reader your login fails?

Currently I’m not having this issue, I guess I’ll have to edit the post, but I had that only when I update the system to the latest version. What happens is that I get stuck at the login screen with my username on the screen and the password field selected. Without typing anything I got abruptly get messages stating that login using the fingerprint failed, and this goes on and on until I get locked during X ammount of time.

And if you are denied login at TTY using the normal username not root then your password input is incorrect.

Well the password can’t be incorrect as I’ve been able to install packages with my own user. Btw to note: my user and root have the same password.

Yes - the system - will block your login on a certain amount of failed attempts.

This can easily be caused by the fingerprint reader - and then the system block any attempts to use the blocked username.

Correct but as I’ve already stated, this is not the current issue. The current issue is just that I can not login into my user as if my password were incorrect, although I can login into root (on GDM login screen)

Login as root - then change the password for your user - differentiating from root

passwd <username>

Logout - and retry

Note: I have been using Arch and Manjaro for years - I have never experienced issues with password but your issue makes me think the recent change deprecating the old hashing for passwords may be the issue.

https://archlinux.org/news/sorting-out-old-password-hashes/

Ok so doing that, resetting the password did not help. I’ve again removed the fprintd and libfprint packages and did as as specified here by @Hanzel

If it is the fingerprint reader that is to blame does blacklisting the fingerprint hardware or just removing fprintd solve the issue? This post might help you to disable the hardware.

When I boot and select my username, I don’t even have time to type in my user password and when I’m greeted by the failed fingerprint message. After waiting for some time, I try the newly changed password, but it still does not work. Switching to root, I am greeted by the “failed fingerprint” message, but the password for root works, so conclusion:

  • After updating the user password with the root, I still get the same issue
  • Now, after removing the fprintd and libfprint packages and blacklisting the hardware, I’m still greeted by the failed fingerprint message.

Edit: Also as I’ve wrote before, logging in via TTY (virtual terminal) does not work, and I get “Login incorrect”, although I’ve recently changed the password.

Now - that is a problem - and it is most likely caused by the system trying to use the fingerprint reader and failing.

If I understand your latest comment correct - you are not allowed TTY login using your username?

One way to troubleshoot is if you reboot and bring up the grub menu - then edit the entry - and add the number three (3) to the end of the kernel command line.

This will just boot to command line and you can verify the login without the GDM displaymanger locking you out.

I’m kinda stuck for solutions, does dmesg or your journal have any clues as to what is happening ?
if disabling the hardware and removing the fprint packages I’m kinda stumped as to why the failed fingerprint messages keep happening and supposedly locking you out.

If I understand your latest comment correct - you are not allowed TTY login using your username?

That is correct. It works with root though, something is very fishy here.

One way to troubleshoot is if you reboot and bring up the grub menu - then edit the entry - and add the number three (3) to the end of the kernel command line.

This will just boot to command line and you can verify the login without the GDM displaymanger locking you out.

Will try it out.

Edit:

then edit the entry - and add the number three (3) to the end of the kernel command line.

Where is that stored ? As I only can select Edit Boot Options or GRUB CLI (I’m not very low-level proficient).

Bring up the grub menu - using Shift during a reboot.

Then on the default entry press e

In the editor that pops up navigate to the line with the word quiet then add the number three to the end of the line - then press F10 to continue booting.

That did not work. To add: I have encrypted my HD. After typing in my decryption key I do (press on shift multiple times to see if it gets triggered) as you mentioned but it just booted to login screen.

Ouch - while I have played with encryption I don’t use it - and I have zero experience in troubleshotting issues involving encrypted systems.

I don’t know how to continue …

I suspect there is a configuration in /etc/pam.d which is referring the fingerprint reader - but I have no idea where and even less idea on how to proceed.

I apologize for not being able to help you solve this…

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I had actually to press on ESC, I was already previously in the GRUB menu. Now seeing only a TTY as expected.

Edit: same as before, my user gets login incorrect while root can login without issues.

While logged in as root on TTY - try unlocking your username

usermod -U <username>

Don’t reboot - just logout with the command exit and try login with your username

When this happens and you’re logged in as root, check the failllock status for your $user:

# faillock --user $user

Possibly reset

# faillock --user $user --reset

and try login as $user again.

Try disabling fingerprint authentication for your uses, so that your system does not try and fail to login with fingerprint without your input:

https://help.gnome.org/admin/system-admin-guide/stable/login-fingerprint.html.en

Thank you all for the reply. I ended up wiping the distro again, only this time during install, I did not selected “Same password for superuser”, and instead typed the exact same password for the root, as for my user. What this solved for me was:

  • I am no longer blocked from logging in, although I still get the message about the fingerprint. Still, I can login so that is less one problem.

But now another thing arose. When installing software via the Add Software application, all packages get installed correctly but if I try to install via terminal I get the following: Sorry, try again.

I get the same output when trying with the sudo -i command. So now I can not use sudo from within terminal but I can via software application ? Also any sudo related command fails.

Edit: I’ve logged out, tried logging on tty (virtual console) and I could successfully login as root and as my user.

Edit 2: The same happens when on TTY with my user. If I login as my user and attempt sudo -i I get Sorry, try again. as if the sudo password is incorrect.

Edit 3: I’ve noticed that I’m not in sudo group:

groups:
network power users storage lp input audio wheel <my_username_group>*

*Omited for privacy.
I’ve tried adding myself to sudo (usermod -a -G sudo ) via TTY but I got a message stating that sudo group does not exist. What ?! @linux-aarhus do you have any input on this ?

Edit 4: su worked, but sudo -i did not.