strange login behaviour

[Andrea B.]

OK, I found the problem. It is because Günther has Safari Private Browsing turned on.
Here is my experiment.

On my Macbook I started Safari with the following Preferences, but did not turn on Private Browsing.

General

• Open pages in tabs instead of Windows:  Always.
• Checked:  Cmd-click opens a link in a new tab.
• Checked:  When a new tab opens, make it active.

Security

• Checked: Block pop-up windows.

Privacy

• Checked: Website tracking. Ask websites not to track me.

I then logged into Nikongear and opened every NG link with a Cmd-tab so that it appeared in a New Tab. Each Tab that became active showed me still logged into Nikongear.

In short everything worked as it should.

NOW, I added the additional setting of Private Browsing to Safari via the Safari Main Menu. (Private Browsing is not in Safari Preferences.)
And now every time I opened a link with Cmd-tab, the active window in the New Tab had lost my login.

However, this is exactly what Private Browsing is supposed to do!!
Safari tells you this directly.

Do you want to turn on Private Browsing?
Safari can keep your browsing history private. When you turn on private browsing, Safari doesn’t remember the pages you visit, your search history, or your AutoFill information.

So problem solved.

Günther, if you want to use Safari Private Browsing, then you must not use Cmd-click to open new NG links.

*****

ADDED LATER:  Firefox under Private Browsing seems to remember logins. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

[Danulon]

Thanks for your efforts, Jan-Anne and Andrea!


Both of you were right. Some googling finally showed that private browsing in iOS is not activated in the settings menu but in the browser - similar to your OS X test. So my fault - I had not realised that I was using private browsing all the time.


Cheers,
Günther

[Andrea B.]

Yes, Safari behaves the same on my iPad.

It was good that we all figured this out because maybe we can help someone else in the future
now that we know how it all works. 

[HCS]

In the mean time i've found that my "problem" may actually be related to SMF, or the combination of SMF with firefox (perhaps only on Mac). I have the problem on Luminuous Landscape as well and they also use SMF.

Maybe there is something in their support forum?!

[HCS]

Andrea, i did some web search. Not that i don't trust you, i'm pretty sure you've got it all nailed down. But, perhaps there is more you need to attend to, so please take this as a gesture.

Perhaps one of these links holds the key to solving my originally reported issue, i think the first one looks quite credible:
http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=447598.0
http://forum.coppermine-gallery.net/index.php?topic=43880.0

Hope this helps some, otherwise please forget this 

[Andrea B.]

Hans, thank you for the links. Really & truly I do not have everything nailed down!!  The SMF forum software is new to all of us.

[Andrea B.]

I checked our session hash_bits_per_character and it is NOT 6, which is the value that caused trouble as mentioned in the link. That link was from 2011, so 4 years later we are well advanced beyond the SMF version mentioned in the link.

******

I have enabled the use of sub-domain independent cookies.
And I have also raised the session timeout length.

******

HCS: Please check your browser and let me know if you have Private Browsing enabled?

[HCS]

I checked our session hash_bits_per_character and it is NOT 6, which is the value that caused trouble as mentioned in the link. That link was from 2011, so 4 years later we are well advanced beyond the SMF version mentioned in the link.

Well ... never mind then. I was just googling. I really have no idea about forum setup.

******

I have enabled the use of sub-domain independent cookies.
And I have also raised the session timeout length.

******

HCS: Please check your browser and let me know if you have Private Browsing enabled?

I'll give it a whirl. I am not using Private Browsing, i'm certain about that.

[Andrea B.]

Hans, I was asking about Private Browsing just to see if that might be a factor in your particular logoff problem. Just for the record I use PRivate Browsing with Firefox and have not experienced any logoff problems. But it did play a role in Günther's logoff problem on Safari browser.

I think it is cool that you googled around and have tried to help. Sooner or later we will figure this out !!

Hans, please do let me know whether you are still experiencing unwanted logoff after my reset of sub-domain cookies and session timeout length (not the same as login timeout which is managed by cookie).

If so, then please give me a rundown of the following items as I have access to more than one platform (or can arrange it).

PC/Laptop Type & OS
Browser & Version
Browser Settings for Tabs
Browser Settings for Content, Privacy, Security
Use of any anti-viral software or firewalls (Y/N)

Example from my setup:
Macbook Pro OS 10.8.5 (I'm soooo behind....)
Firefox 40.0.3 with Adblock Plus
Tabs:  Open tab in new window. Switch to it immediately.
Content/Privacy: Block popup windows except for Nikongear.net. Tell sites no tracking. Always use Private Browsing. Accept cookies.
Anti-viral: Yes, occasionally

[HCS]

I'm writing this on my MacPro 5.1 (mid 2010), OSX 10.10.5
Firefox 40.0.3
Tabs: "Open new windows in a new tab instead" and "When I open a link in a new tab, switch to it immediately"
Content: "Block pop-up windows", no exceptions
Privacy: i don't have "Tell sites that I do not want to be tracked" set and "Firefox will: Remember history"
Security: not sure which setting is interesting to know
Anit-viral: no clue what you really mean as a setting in Firefox, but (very) occasionally i do run ClamXav

And yes, i still do get to go to the second screen more often than not because of password not correct.

I'll keep an eye out the coming days, but i've cleared the cookies and cache just yet and it happened again.

[Andrea B.]

Hans, thanks for the info. I try to troubleshoot on as similar a platform as I can manage.
And if I report this problem on the SMF Forum, the machine/OS/browser stuff is necessary.

You did not say whether you have Accept Cookies checked in the Firefox preferences?

[HCS]

Andrea, i don't know where that setting is, but in Privacy - Firefox will: i have Remember settings. The explanation that goes with that is "Firefox will remember your browsing, download, form and search history, and keep cookies from websites you visit."

Is there another place?

[Andrea B.]

In my Firefox display the Cookie setting shows up in the History section.
Here is a screen shot of what I see.
(With INCORRECT settings!!! I have been playing around with them.)

[HCS]

Andrea, i think that my setting automatically allows storing of cookies. I haven't customised those settings.

[Andrea B.]

Yes, that is correct. I reset to Remember History and no longer see Cookie setting which is now automatic.

Anyway, so far no luck in reproducing your problem with getting "bumped off" NG. I'm sorry about that! I have a few other things to try, however, so will keep working on it.