[Users] Gmail OAuth2 Authorization Errors

[Rosemary Lockie]

On Sat, 9 Apr 2022 09:27:47 +0600.
Dustin Miller <dustbiz at gmail.com> wrote: 

> I have been using multiple Gmail accounts with POP and OAuth2. Recently
> I switched three of these accounts from 'Testing' status to 'In
> Production' status in order to avoid needing to get a new auth code
> every seven days. I did this switch while my Claws (on a Linux system)
> was at v4.0.0 and have since upgraded to v4.1.0. These accounts have all
> been working as expected for at least a few days with this current
> configuration.
> 
> Today when trying to get mail from one of these accounts with Claws, it
> failed and the network log indicated that it hadn't been able to get
> the access and/or refresh token it needed. (One of the other accounts
> with the same configuration worked fine at the same time to get mail.)
> When I tried to get a new authorization code it gave an authorization
> error in the browser including the following info:

[snip]
> 
> I tried deleting the app's entry in 'Credentials' and creating a new
> one (i.e. to use a new client id and client secret), but this gave the
> same result. If I revert to 'Testing' status, it works as expected.
> I've checked in my Google account online and there doesn't seem to be
> any security-related settings there that would be blocking this.

[snip]
> 
> Based on the error above, am I right in thinking that this might be
> something that Claws Mail developers would need to 'fix' within Claws
> itself? Or would there be a way for me to 'fix' this via the Claws
> settings or Google Cloud Platform?
> 
> I have a vague memory of someone else on this list encountering this
> (or something like it), but I can't remember the details.

[RL: me, for one!]

Dustin,

I experienced the same issue yesterday with status being "In Production", but had not
tried to obtain a new authorization code, as I'm still on v3.18, and figured I should
upgrade first before doing that. I haven't done so so far as I'm a Windows user, and I
wasn't sure of the status of Windows version. Ah, so maybe if I switch back to Testing,
it will be ok, for now at least, so thanks for that! :-)

It would seem to me also that this is going to keep cropping up, so I have also wondered
if it's something the Claws Mail developers would need to 'fix', or whether there's a way
round it in Claws settings, or Google Cloud Platform?.

So far as the Developers, I have been pondering on what status an Open Source app has so
far as Google OAuth2 is concerned. It must be possible to "Publish" such an app, as (I
assume) Firefox does so. As a very rough summary, their "Terms and Conditions" mention
"Open Source", and their "Privacy Policy" tells users how to be even more private.

Kind Regards,
Rosemary Lockie