What’s the "Chromium Safe Storage" in Wallet Manager?

[CaffeineAddict]

I have asked this question of KDE forums because it's KDE specific question a while ago and received no reply so I'm asking the same question here.

---

I have so far several times reinstalled system (with KDE\plasma ofc.) and noticed there is always one entry in Wallet Manager that sits there by default.


The entry is called Chromium Safe Storage and has some password set
(please see screenshot below)


I would like to know what this entry is and why is it there by default?
I don’t have any chromium based software installed, at least I believe so, I’m using firefox-esr Firefox
You might as well, I’m sure, noticed this entry, take a look at your wallet and you’ll see.
What will happen if I delete this entry? is it needed?

My system is Debian 12.5 with KDE plasma 5.27.5

 

[GatorsFan]

"Chrome Safe Storage" in the Key-chain is simply an application password that Chrome uses to encrypt/decrypt data in its secure information store. It's generated after installation during Chrome's initial setup.
Vivaldi web browser uses the same key name. Why - who knows

 

[CaffeineAddict]

"Chrome Safe Storage" in the Key-chain is simply an application password that Chrome uses to encrypt/decrypt data in its secure information store. It's generated after installation during Chrome's initial setup.
Vivaldi web browser uses the same key name. Why - who knows

But I don't have any chrome software and never did on this machine.
Also the default Debian installation does not have it AFAIK, yet the key is there on fresh install.

 

[GatorsFan]

But I don't have any chrome software and never did on this machine.
Also the default Debian installation does not have it AFAIK, yet the key is there on fresh install.

Does not matter it does not have to be chrome just chrome based - like Vivaldi, Brave, Thorium, Opera and there are probably a few others - so if you tried one of those browsers and removed it - it left that behind

 

[CaffeineAddict]

like Vivaldi, Brave, Thorium, Opera and there are probably a few others

I really never installed anything like that unless firefox-esr or firefox has some business with chromium.
or if any other KDE program uses anything chromium.

 

[MikeWalsh]

@CaffeineAddict :-

Doesn't have to be a browser. Many developers use the Electron framework to build applications......and this is based around a highly stripped-back 'minimal' build of the Chromium browser. There's usually no internet connection involved, unless specifically enabled by the developer, but the main reason for Electron is the ability to build both desktop- AND web-apps that look the same, regardless of platform.

These will look the same under Windows, Linux, MacOS, BSD, Unix.....makes no difference, a user will instantly feel at home with it. Which is a big plus where productivity is concerned, because the user doesn't have to spend time learning something new.

If Chromium code-base is involved, pounds to peanuts this same thing you've noticed will get generated.

Why d'you think M$ moved to a Chromium-based build of Edge? Skype, too, is now an Electron app.......just like Teams is. They can build both desktop AND web versions of the same app with minimum effort, and it will behave the same, regardless.


Mike.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Anyone knows if there is some method how I could determine which program depends on, or links to anything chromium, Electron etc?

Otherwise I'm convinced with the answers so far so this is solved.

 

[GatorsFan]

Here are some other things that can use Chromium Safe Storage

OnlyOffice - Adobe products, (but that does not mean much on Linux) - AnyStream on MacOS and pretty much anything that Google has it's paws in.
The key-ring for Chromium Safe Storage usually unlocks when you enter your user password to sign in, not requiring you enter it on launch. The exception is when you have your user automatically sign in, in which case it can't unlock automatically as it never received the password.
That's about all I know of Chromium Safe Storage