# The &kwallet; Handbook

## Introduction

Computer users have a very large amount of data to manage, some of which is sensitive. In particular, you will typically have many passwords to manage. Remembering them is difficult, writing them down on paper or in a text file is insecure, and using tools such at PGP is tedious and inconvenient.

&kwallet; saves this sensitive data for you in a strongly encrypted

The data is encrypted with the Blowfish symmetric block cipher algorithm, the algorithm key is derived from the SHA-1 hash of the password, with a key length of 156 bits (20 bytes). The data into the wallet file is also hashed with SHA-1 and checked before the data is deciphered and accessible by the applications.

file, accessible by all applications, and protected with a master password that you define.

&kwallet; supports multiple wallets, so for the most secure operation, you should use one wallet for local passwords, and another for network passwords and form data. You can configure this behavior in the &kwallet; &systemsettings; module, however the default setting is to store everything in one wallet.

A wallet is by default closed, which means that you must supply a password to open it. Once the wallet is opened, the contents can be accessed.

### Using &kwallet;

If you visit ⪚ the &kde; bugtracker and enter the login data for the first time, a dialog pops up offering to store the password in an encrypted wallet:

Request to save login information Request to save login information

If you want to store this information, select Store to proceed. In case you did not create a wallet so far, the next dialog asks for the wallet password and creates a wallet named kdewallet.

Create a wallet Create a wallet

Next time you visit the same website again, the application requests to open the wallet. Enter the wallet password and click the Open button.

Request to open a wallet Request to open a wallet

This connects the application to the wallet, enables it to read the login data from the wallet and to restore the login information for this website. Once an application is connected to the wallet, it can automatically restore any login information stored in the wallet.

## &kwalletmanager;

&kwalletmanager; serves a number of functions. Firstly it allows you to see if any wallets are open, which wallets those are, and which applications are using each wallet. You can disconnect an application's access to a wallet from within the &kwalletmanager;.

You may also manage the wallets installed on the system, creating and deleting wallets and manipulating their contents (changing keys, ...).

The &kwalletmanager; application is launched with Applications Settings Wallet Management Tool from the application launcher. Alternatively start &krunner; with shortcut &Alt;F2 and enter `kwalletmanager`.

A system tray icon indicates that a wallet is open: When all wallets are closed, the icon will reflect this by showing a closed wallet:

Click once on the system tray wallet icon to display the &kwalletmanager; window showing all available wallets as icons which reflect their current status, either open or closed.

### The &kwalletmanager; Context Menu

Right clicking on a wallet in the &kwalletmanager; window offers the following functions:

New Wallet...

- Create a new wallet. A dialog box will ask you for the name of the new wallet that you want to create.

Return Open...

- Open the wallet. Opening the wallet causes the contents of the wallet to be displayed in a new window where you can add, delete, or modify the contents of the wallet. You may also double click the wallet icon to cause it to open. If the wallet is not already open, you will be requested to enter the password. See below for details of using the wallet window.

Change Password...

- Change the master password for the wallet.

Disconnect

- Disconnect an application from the wallet. Currently connected applications will appear in a submenu.

&Ctrl;W Close

- Force the wallet to be closed.

Del Delete

- Delete the wallet

### The Wallet Window

Double clicking on a wallet in the &kwalletmanager; window will open a new window displaying that wallet's contents. A wallet may contain any number of folders, which allow storing of password information. By default a wallet will contain folders named Form Data and Passwords.

The window has three sections:

- A search line to filter the items of the current wallet

- The tree view of the folders contained in the wallet. Click the > / v symbols to expand or collapse the tree view.

- The contents of the selected folder entry at the right side

Folders may be added or deleted via the context menu, and selecting a folder will update the folder entry list and the summary display. Selecting a folder entry will update the entry contents pane, and allow you to edit that entry.

Entries may also be created or deleted via the context menu for the folder contents.

All folders and entries may be dragged and dropped into other wallets or folders respectively. This allows a user to easily package up a new wallet for transfer to another environment. For instance, a new wallet could be created and copied onto a removable flash memory device. Important passwords could be transferred there, so you have them available in other locations.

## Configuring &kwallet;

### Wallet Preferences

&kwallet; contains a small configuration panel with several options that allow you to tune &kwallet; to your personal preferences. The default settings for &kwallet; are sufficient for most users.

Check the box to enable or disable the &kde; wallet subsystem entirely. If this box is unchecked, then &kwallet; is entirely disabled and none of the other options here have any effect, nor will &kwallet; record any information, or offer to fill in forms for you.

### Close Wallet

Close when unused for:

- Close the current wallet after a period of inactivity. If you check this option, set the period in the box, default is 10 minutes. When a wallet is closed, the password is needed to access it again.

Close when screensaver starts

- Close the wallet as soon as the screen saver starts. When a wallet is closed, the password is needed to access it again.

Close when last application stops using it

- Close the wallet as soon as applications that use it have stopped. Note that your wallets will only be closed when all the applications that use it have stopped. When a wallet is closed, the password is needed to access it again.

### Automatic Wallet Selection

Select wallet to use as default:

- Select which wallet you want to use as default wallet.

Different wallet for local passwords:

- If checked, choose a different wallet for local passwords.

### Wallet Manager

Show manager in system tray

- Enable the wallet manager to have its icon in the system tray.

Hide System tray icon when last wallet closes

- When there is no wallet in use anymore, remove the wallet icon from the system tray.

Finally, there is a button labeled Launch Wallet Manager, which does precisely that.

This button is only visible if &kwalletmanager; is not running

### Access Control

There is only one option on this page:

Prompt when an application accesses an open wallet

- Signal you when an application gains access to an open wallet.

Next there is a tree style view of the access controls for your wallets.

Click with the &LMB; on the > symbol beside a wallet name to expand the tree. You will see the name of each application that has asked for access to the wallet, and the policy you set for it. You cannot edit policies here, or add them, but it is possible to delete an entry by &RMB; clicking on it and choosing Delete from the context menu that appears, or by simply selecting it and pressing the Del key.

An application that has been allowed access to a wallet is granted access to all passwords stored inside.

### &kde; Secret Sync

KDE Secret Sync tool aims to help synchronize secrets, such as passwords and login-in account information, between several devices running KDE. It comes as a feature of the new KSecretsService infrastructure. For more information about this infrastructure, please check the KSecretsService page and also the project information page. This tool is currently under development.

&kde; Secret Sync uses cryptography to securely exchange the secrets between the devices. As such, it can be used over insecure connections, such as the Internet.

#### Peer-to-peer synchronization

This operation mode does not require access to a centralized server. A list of known computers is used instead. &kde; Secret Sync will initiate secret exchange sessions with each of it's known computers over a SSH tunnel. The local secret changes are propagated to the other known computers as soon as they are detected.

This case require a network connection between known devices. The &kde; Secret Sync tool will hold sync operations with the devices that are not available due to network outages. A naming service should be used for devices that change IP address with each connection.

On the General tab check Enable auto synchronization and adjust the port your computer is listening for this service. Go to the Computers tab and add all remote computer names and the port numbers they are listening for synchronization of secrets.

## Advanced Features

Wallets can be dragged from the &kwalletmanager; window. This allows you to drag the wallet to a file browser window, where you can choose to copy, move, or link the wallet, as desired.

You might use this to save a wallet to portable media, such as a USB keychain, so that you can take your passwords with you to work or on a vacation, and still have easy access to important sites.

Future versions will have built-in functions for easy export or copying of data to portable devices.

## Credits and Licenses

&kwallet; © 2003 &George.Staikos;

Documentation © &Lauri.Watts; and &George.Staikos;

&underFDL; &underGPL;
&documentation.index;