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PhotonX

Member

From: Munich

Registered: 2008-08-10

Posts: 602

Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

Hi guys,

I am hit by this bug and thus xfce4-mailwatch-plugin is unusable for me: https://gitlab.xfce.org/panel-plugins/x … /issues/40 Is there any alternative which still supports GMail? The only one I know of is mailnag, but it seems to have similar problems, at least it reports an authentication failure...

Thanks,
PhotonX

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Desktop: http://www.sysprofile.de/id15562, Arch Linux    |    Notebook: Thinkpad L13 Yoga Gen2, Manjaro

The very worst thing you can do with free software is to download it, see that it doesn't work for some reason, leave it, and tell your friends that it doesn't work.  -  Tuomas Lukka

toz

Member

Registered: 2011-10-28

Posts: 497

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

If you enable two-factor on your google account and create an app password, you can use that password in mailwatch's properties to access your account. Does this work or are you specifically looking for a plugin that supports OAuth 2.0?

PhotonX

Member

From: Munich

Registered: 2008-08-10

Posts: 602

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

To be honest, I'm a bit confused about how the two-factor authentication works in GMail, that's why I'm not using it so far. In my job we use a web software with 2FA as well which works in such a way that a mail with a one time password is sent to the user's email address. But how would it work for GMail if it IS the email address? Sorry for the most probably stupid question!

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Desktop: http://www.sysprofile.de/id15562, Arch Linux    |    Notebook: Thinkpad L13 Yoga Gen2, Manjaro

The very worst thing you can do with free software is to download it, see that it doesn't work for some reason, leave it, and tell your friends that it doesn't work.  -  Tuomas Lukka

toz

Member

Registered: 2011-10-28

Posts: 497

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

The second factor only comes into play if you are accessing the account from a web browser or other non-auth method. However, if you use an app password, you're not prompted for that second factor. So basically, I've enabled 2 factor, set up an app password, and the mailwatch plugin informs me when I have email available. I also use gmail-nativefier to launch a electron-wrapped instance of the gmail website in it's own window and assign this app to the click function. The first time I launch this app it asks for my gmail password, but since its chromium under the hood, it uses oauth to establist the connection and 2 factor is not required.

PhotonX

Member

From: Munich

Registered: 2008-08-10

Posts: 602

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

Sorry for the very late reply! Before touching F2A, I wonder, how exactly this initial authentication works, like, where does the temporary password go to?

Last edited by PhotonX (2022-08-03 07:47:08)

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Desktop: http://www.sysprofile.de/id15562, Arch Linux    |    Notebook: Thinkpad L13 Yoga Gen2, Manjaro

The very worst thing you can do with free software is to download it, see that it doesn't work for some reason, leave it, and tell your friends that it doesn't work.  -  Tuomas Lukka

toz

Member

Registered: 2011-10-28

Posts: 497

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

Sorry I don't understand the question. What do you mean by "where does the temporary password go"?

PhotonX

Member

From: Munich

Registered: 2008-08-10

Posts: 602

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

Well, for example, in my job we have a web software with 2FA, you give your login and password and then it sends a temporary password to your email address which you have to enter to finish the login process. But in GMail, where would it send the temporary password?

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Desktop: http://www.sysprofile.de/id15562, Arch Linux    |    Notebook: Thinkpad L13 Yoga Gen2, Manjaro

The very worst thing you can do with free software is to download it, see that it doesn't work for some reason, leave it, and tell your friends that it doesn't work.  -  Tuomas Lukka

progandy

Member

Registered: 2012-05-17

Posts: 5,196

Re: Searching for an alternative for xfce4-mailwatch-plugin

The second factor can be one of these things:
- Android Smartphone
- TOTP with e.g. Google Authenticator or some other tool (Keepassxc should work as well)
- SMS
- Backup-Codes (you should store them somewhere, especially if you use your android phone)
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/185839?hl=en

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