Big shoutout to @martin, who just helped me re-gain access to this account after my dumb ass let my cert expire! Don't be like me, and check the expiration date of your certs! (or set a password to have a plan B) In my defense, I created that cert when I just arrived at geminispace and I had no idea wtf I was doing :D
2 weeks ago 路 馃憤 m0xee, bavarianbarbarian, martin, dariolob, bookscorpion, not4uffinonmobile
@half_elf_monk Yep! Create a really long one, and maybe add a second as a backup. You can also use this method to add a mobile certs for a mobile browser. And of course, make sure your password isn't easily guessable. On my own account, I added a "recovery" cert, stored that somewhere safe, and turned my password off entirely. 路 1 week ago
So if I understand rightly, it's best practice here to make a cert of the preferred length, make a password on station, and then add another newer cert to the account sometime comfortably before the old one expires? 路 2 weeks ago
thank you @jmcs for the detailed explanation (both times lol), and to @martin for running station. :) 路 2 weeks ago
that's the spirit!! 路 2 weeks ago
More than happy to help, and thanks for sharing this info for others! 路 2 weeks ago
(continuing)
and, here's how to avoid problems:
- when creating a cert, choose an expiration date way in the future (this might be "less secure", but "very convenient"). Easy in Lagrange.
- create certs with short expiration date, and remember to create new ones before these expire ("more secure", but "less convenient")
- on station: in the root page, visit "your account" and then "manage identities"
- set a password. Use it to add new certificates to your account. There are instructions, so I won't repeat it here.
If you don't set a password, and let your cert expire, you'll find yourself unable to log in here, like I was :( 路 2 weeks ago
sorry @half_elf_monk , last night I read your comment wrong. I'll try again :)
- station (gemini in general) uses "certificates" as a way to identify users
- some gemini clients let you create these certs and manage them for you. From here on, I'll talk about Lagrange, which is possibly the most ubiquitous client?
- user certificates have a time when they are valid. They "expire" after a date (basically, one chooses this validity when creating the cert)
- in Lagrange, at least Android, in the center of the bottom bar there is a "person" icon. You can go to the "manage identities" menu from there, and see the expiration date of certificates
(to be continued) 路 2 weeks ago
well, here's what I did:
- email Martin
- (try to) be nice
- I proposed to send the (original, expired) certificate, as a mechanism to verify that the account was, in fact, mine. This was deemed good enough
- apologize for wasting his time because of my carelessness :D
and this was it. He set a temporary password for me, I logged in with a new cert and attached it to the existing account.
Thanks again, @martin ! 路 2 weeks ago
in... in case anyone else is in the same boat of not-knowing-what-to-do to forestall this, are there guides available? 路 2 weeks ago