Known Issue: Unable to Log in - "Cannot Create Account"

DRAFT DOCUMENTATION: This documentation is currently in draft form and may not be fully tested and correct. Please verify all procedures before use and report any issues or inaccuracies.

Purpose

This document explains a known issue with the Pagure migrator where user accounts are created but not properly enabled. The issue presents itself when an affected user attempts to log in to Fedora Forge. Instead of a successful login, the user receives an error message stating that they are unable to create their account and must contact a system administrator for assistance. This occurs because the user’s account has been created by the migrator but has not been finalized in the same way as a new account created via the Forgejo UI.

If you encounter this issue, please file a ticket on the fedora-infrastructure ticket tracker on Pagure to report the problem and request assistance.

Scope

This document applies to Fedora Forge administrators who need to resolve login issues for users affected by the Pagure migrator. The procedures outlined here are specific to the Fedora Forge implementation.

This issue is specific to the Fedora Forge implementation of the Pagure migrator, as it is the only version that automatically creates user accounts. Other Forgejo instances do not exhibit this behavior as their migrators do not have this functionality.

Prerequisites

  • Administrator Privileges: The user must possess administrator privileges on Fedora Forge to perform these procedures.

  • Access to Fedora System: For the automated workaround, access to a Fedora system with Python installed is required.

Procedure

Manual Workaround (For Individual Users)

An administrator can manually fix this issue for a single user by performing the following steps in the Forgejo UI:

  1. Log in as a Fedora Forge administrator to Fedora Forge.

  2. Navigate to the Admin Panel.

  3. Go to the User Management section.

  4. Find and click on the user’s account to open their settings.

  5. Without making any changes, click the "Update user account" button to save changes.

Automated Workaround (For Multiple Users)

For administrators dealing with a large number of affected users, the update_users.py script provides an automated solution. This script automates the tedious manual process of visiting each user’s edit page and saving changes, ensuring that all migrated accounts are properly enabled.

Prerequisites for Automated Workaround

  • Administrator Access: You must have administrator privileges on Fedora Forge and be a member of the sysadmin-forge group in Fedora Accounts

  • Python Environment: Python 3.6 or later with pip installed

  • Required Dependencies: The following Python packages must be installed:

    • selenium - For web browser automation

    • webdriver-manager - For automatic browser driver management

    • click - For command-line interface

  • Browser Requirements: Firefox browser installed on your system

  • Manual Login: You will need to manually log in with your Fedora Accounts credentials during script execution

Installation

Installing Required Dependencies

It’s recommended to use a Python virtual environment to avoid conflicts with system packages. Create and activate a virtual environment, then install the required packages:

python -m venv user-fix-env
source user-fix-env/bin/activate
pip install selenium webdriver-manager click

When you’re done with the user account fixes, you can deactivate the virtual environment:

deactivate
Obtaining the Script

The update_users.py script is available in the official Fedora Forge deployment repository. You can download it directly from:

update_users.py

To download the script:

curl -O https://codeberg.org/fedora/forgejo-deployment/raw/branch/main/scripts/update_users.py
Browser Setup

The script uses Firefox for web automation. Ensure Firefox is installed on your system:

sudo dnf install firefox

The webdriver-manager package will automatically download and manage the GeckoDriver for Firefox, so no manual driver installation is required.

Usage

Basic Command Structure

The script uses the following command structure:

python update_users.py --forgejo-base-url "https://forge.fedoraproject.org/"
Command-Line Options
How the Script Works

The script automates the manual process by:

  1. Opening Firefox: Launches a Firefox browser window

  2. Navigating to Login: Goes to the Forgejo login page

  3. Manual Login Required: You must manually log in with your Fedora Accounts credentials (30-second timeout)

  4. Accessing Admin Panel: Navigates to the admin users management page

  5. Processing Users: For each user account:

    • Opens the user’s edit page in a new tab

    • Clicks the "Update user account" button

    • Waits for the success confirmation

    • Closes the tab and continues to the next user

  6. Pagination Handling: Automatically handles multiple pages of users

Example Usage
python update_users.py --forgejo-base-url "https://forge.fedoraproject.org/"
Important Notes

  • Manual Login Required: The script will pause for 30 seconds to allow you to log in manually with your Fedora Accounts credentials

  • Administrator Access: Your Fedora Accounts user must be a member of the sysadmin-forge group

  • Browser Window: Keep the Firefox window visible and don’t close it during execution

  • Processing Time: The script may take several minutes depending on the number of users

Verification

  • Confirm that affected users can now successfully log in to Fedora Forge.

  • Verify that user accounts are properly enabled and functional.

  • Test that users can access their repositories and perform normal operations.

Troubleshooting

If users continue to experience login issues after applying these workarounds:

  • Verify that the user account exists in the Fedora Forge user management system.

  • Check that the account has been properly activated.

  • Contact the Fedora Infrastructure team if the issue persists.

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