Bug 2400464 - "Authentication is required to update metadata"
Summary: "Authentication is required to update metadata"
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: flatpak
Version: 44
Hardware: x86_64
OS: Linux
unspecified
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: David King
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL: https://mega.nz/file/DzZ2EDJA#XhJCW6k...
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2025-09-30 14:21 UTC by ian
Modified: 2026-05-28 07:50 UTC (History)
8 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)
Photo of error (7.69 MB, image/jpeg)
2025-09-30 14:25 UTC, ian
no flags Details
output of `journalctl -u polkit.service` (9.33 KB, text/plain)
2026-04-02 19:59 UTC, Dennis Wagelaar
no flags Details

Description ian 2025-09-30 14:21:53 UTC
This bug has already been discussed here: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2244876. That bug report was closed because it was reported for Fedora 40 & that reached EOL, but I'm still having that same exact problem on Fedora 42.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Have 2 admin accounts
2. Login to one
3. Switch users & login to the other account
4. Switch back to the first account
Actual Results:
Prompted for password

Expected Results:
Nothing

Additional Information:
Output of "journalctl -S -2m -u polkit.service" after I skipped entering the password:

Sep 30 06:55:45 fedora polkitd[1108]: Error converting subject to JS object: Process 387967 terminated
Sep 30 06:56:07 fedora polkitd[1108]: Error converting subject to JS object: Process 389814 terminated
Sep 30 06:56:23 fedora polkitd[1108]: Error converting subject to JS object: Process 390708 terminated
Sep 30 06:56:38 fedora polkitd[1108]: Operator of unix-session:43 FAILED to authenticate to gain authorization for action org.freedesktop.Flatpak.metadata-update for system-bus-name::1.3812 [/usr/bin/gnome-software --gapplication-service] (owned by unix-user:ian)

Comment 1 ian 2025-09-30 14:25:37 UTC
Created attachment 2108117 [details]
Photo of error

Comment 3 Bryon Baker 2026-03-15 23:11:13 UTC
I am experiencing this immediately after upgrading to Fedora 43. On one dnf upgrade I had to enter the password 20 tiunes.

Comment 5 Dennis Wagelaar 2026-04-02 19:58:26 UTC
I got redirected here from https://discourse.gnome.org/t/gnome-software-dialog-blocks-entire-desktop/34593

I have experienced this bug many times as well, currently on Fedora 42, but before that too. However, recently it got worse: on screen unlock (e.g. wake up after S3 sleep), I find my entire desktop locked up by a modal dialog stating “Authentication required to update metadata”. I can click either "Verify" or "Cancel" all I like (they do respond, dialog is not frozen), but nothing happens. The dialog never disappears, and I typically have to kill my GNOME session from another TTY. I typically lose work because of this.

Comment 6 Dennis Wagelaar 2026-04-02 19:59:04 UTC
Created attachment 2135816 [details]
output of `journalctl -u polkit.service`

I have attached the output of `journalctl -u polkit.service` for the relevant time period. I've also kept the full /var/log/messages from the entire time window (March 31 - April 1) in case they are needed.

Comment 7 Fedora Release Engineering 2026-05-06 14:28:01 UTC
This message is a reminder that Fedora Linux 42 is nearing its end of life.
Fedora will stop maintaining and issuing updates for Fedora Linux 42 on 2026-05-13.
It is Fedora's policy to close all bug reports from releases that are no longer
maintained. At that time this bug will be closed as EOL if it remains open with a
'version' of '42'.

Package Maintainer: If you wish for this bug to remain open because you
plan to fix it in a currently maintained version, change the 'version' 
to a later Fedora Linux version. Note that the version field may be hidden.
Click the "Show advanced fields" button if you do not see it.

Thank you for reporting this issue and we are sorry that we were not 
able to fix it before Fedora Linux 42 is end of life. If you would still like 
to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it against a later version 
of Fedora Linux, you are encouraged to change the 'version' to a later version
prior to this bug being closed.

Comment 8 Bryon Baker 2026-05-06 20:45:22 UTC
I am experiencing this in Fedora 44 only with Remote Desktop.

Comment 9 ian 2026-05-07 02:11:24 UTC
Also still experiencing on a regular Fedora 44 workstation


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