git-ecosystem/git-credential-manager · error · InteropException

Failed to store credentials

Error message

Failed to store credentials

What it means

AddOrUpdate calls secret_password_store_sync to write a credential to the Secret Service. If the call returns a GError it throws an InteropException carrying the daemon's error code and message (inner exception), indicating the credential could not be stored.

Solutions

1. Read the inner exception (GError message) for the daemon's concrete failure reason
2. Ensure gnome-keyring daemon is running and a default collection exists and is unlocked
3. Create/unlock the default keyring (seahorse or gnome-keyring-daemon --unlock) before writing
4. Retry after unlocking; validate that the key/value and attribute strings are non-null and well-formed

Example fix

// before
collection.AddOrUpdate(service, account, secret); // fails if keyring locked
// after
EnsureKeyringUnlocked(); // prompt / gnome-keyring-daemon --unlock
collection.AddOrUpdate(service, account, secret);

if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(service) || string.IsNullOrEmpty(account) || secret == null)
    throw new ArgumentException("service, account and secret are required before storing");
EnsureKeyringRunningAndUnlocked();

try { collection.AddOrUpdate(service, account, secret); }
catch (InteropException ex) { throw new CredentialStoreException($"Store failed: {ex.InnerException?.Message}", ex); }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling AddOrUpdate when the store D-Bus call fails: keyring locked/unavailable, invalid attributes, no default collection, disk full, or daemon rejection.

Common situations: Storing into a locked or missing keyring on a headless server; no default keyring created yet; gnome-keyring not running; schema attribute values containing unsupported characters.

Related errors

• Failed to search for credentials
• -1
• Failed to erase credentials
• Cannot use the ' ' credential backing store without a…
• Failed to unlock item

AI-assisted analysis of git-ecosystem/git-credential-manager@e8ce762cd0 (2026-09-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/06ccd1ceed4d6d6d. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at src/Core/Interop/Linux/SecretServiceCollection.cs:187

                SecretSchema schema = GetSchema();

                // Store the secret with the associated attributes
                bool result = secret_service_store_sync(
                    secService,
                    ref schema,
                    attributes,
                    null,
                    fullServiceName, // Use full service name as label
                    secretValue,
                    IntPtr.Zero,
                    out error);

                if (error != null)
                {
                    int code = error->code;
                    string message = Marshal.PtrToStringAuto(error->message)!;
                    throw new InteropException("Failed to store credentials", code, new Exception(message));
                }

                if (!result)
                {
                    throw new InteropException("Failed to store credentials", -1);
                }
            }
            finally
            {
                if (attributes != null) g_hash_table_destroy(attributes);
                if (secretValue != null) secret_value_unref(secretValue);
                if (error != null) g_error_free(error);
            }
        }

        public unsafe bool Remove(string service, string account)
        {
            GHashTable* attributes = null;

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