passff-host/README.md

passff-host
===========

Host app for the WebExtension **[PassFF](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/passff)**

### Overview
This piece of software wraps around the **[zx2c4 pass](http://www.zx2c4.com/projects/password-store/)** shell command. It has to be installed for the PassFF browser extension to work properly.

### Dependencies

#### For the host application
* [`python3`](https://docs.python.org/3.5/) (>= 3.5)
* [`pass`](https://www.passwordstore.org/)

In most cases, a **graphical *pinentry* program** is also needed for use with the PassFF browser extension. For that, please refer to the instructions given in the [PassFF repository](https://codeberg.org/PassFF/passff#a-graphical-pinentry-program).

#### For the install script (except Windows)
* `curl`
* `sed`

### Installation

#### Linux, MacOS, * BSD

Download the latest `install_host_app.sh` script from [our releases page](https://codeberg.org/PassFF/passff-host/releases) and execute it. As an example, Firefox users can do this in one line like so:

```bash
curl -sSL https://codeberg.org/PassFF/passff-host/releases/download/latest/install_host_app.sh | bash -s -- firefox
```

Users of other supported browsers need to replace the last argument (`firefox`) by `librewolf`, `chrome`, `opera`, `chromium` or `vivaldi`.
The script will download the host application (a small python script) and the add-on's manifest file (a JSON config file) and put them in the right place.

If you're concerned about executing a script that downloads files from the web, you can download the files yourself and run the script with the `--local` option instead or link the files yourself. Details below.

For **OpenBSD** users (cf. [issue #67](https://codeberg.org/PassFF/passff-host/issues/67)), note that Firefox is patched with the [unveil(2)](https://man.openbsd.org/unveil.2) system call to restrict access to the filesystem, in order to make Firefox more secure. Therefore, Firefox on OpenBSD can only execute files for which execution is explicitly permitted in a local configuration file. To allow execution of the PassFF host script, add the following line to the file `/etc/firefox/unveil.main` on your OpenBSD system:
```
~/.mozilla/native-messaging-hosts rx
```
Please keep in mind that this does still lessen the security provided by the default OpenBSD settings. Make the change at your own risk!

#### Windows
Download the `install_host_app.bat` script from [our releases page](https://codeberg.org/PassFF/passff-host/releases) and execute it from within a shell with a correct PATH, mentioning your browser in the last argument (i.e., replace `firefox` by `librewolf`, `chrome`, `opera`, `chromium` or `vivaldi` if necessary).
*The rule of thumb is: if you can execute pass and python from your shell, then your host application will be installed correctly.*

```
install_host_app.bat firefox
```

Note: Older Windows versions might require powershell to be installed manually as the install script uses powershell internally. Windows 10 users should be fine out of the box.

#### NixOS linux

Install the version without extensions to pass with:

    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    ...
    (firefox.override { extraNativeMessagingHosts = [passff-host]; })
    ...];

The string "..." is to be replaced by the list of all other packages installed by root on your NixOS. The way to add extentions to pass is [below](https://github.com/jidhub/passff-host#preferences).


#### Latest from git

This is not recommended! Only for developers and for testing purposes!

Clone the repository. Then, run the following command.

```bash
make [VERSION=testing|...] [BROWSER=firefox|librewolf|chrome|opera|chromium|vivaldi] install
```

This will generate the host application and installation scripts for the given `VERSION` (`testing` by default), and copy the host application and manifest files to the right place for your `BROWSER` (`firefox` by default).

This uses the `--local` option of the `install_host_app.sh` script, which instructs it to use the files on disk rather than downloading them from the official git repository.

If this doesn't work, you can link the files yourself. First, change the `path` value in the `passff.json` file to be the absolute path to the project's `bin/testing/passff.py` file. Then symlink (or copy) the file `bin/testing/passff.json` to the appropriate location for your browser and OS:

- [Firefox](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Native_manifests#Manifest_location)
  - Linux
    - Per-user: `~/.mozilla/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/usr/{lib,lib64,share}/mozilla/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
  - OS X
    - Per-user: `~/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/Library/Application Support/Mozilla/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
  - Windows
    - Per-user: `Path contained in registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla\NativeMessagingHosts\passff`
    - System-wide: `Path contained in registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\NativeMessagingHosts\passff`
- LibreWolf
  - Linux
    - Per-user: `~/.librewolf/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/usr/{lib,lib64,share}/librewolf/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
  - OS X
    - Per-user: `~/Library/Application Support/LibreWolf/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/Library/Application Support/LibreWolf/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
  - Windows
    - Per-user: `Path contained in registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\LibreWolf\NativeMessagingHosts\passff`
    - System-wide: `Path contained in registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\LibreWolf\NativeMessagingHosts\passff`
- Chrome
  - Linux
    - Per-user: `~/.config/google-chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/etc/opt/chrome/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
  - OS X
    - Per-user: `~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/Library/Google/Chrome/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
  - Windows
    - Per-user: `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\passff`
    - System-wide: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Google\Chrome\NativeMessagingHosts\passff`
- Chromium
  - Linux
    - Per-user: `~/.config/chromium/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/etc/chromium/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
  - OS X
    - Per-user: `~/Library/Application Support/Chromium/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/Library/Application Support/Chromium/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
- Opera
  - Same as Chrome
- Vivaldi
  - Linux
    - Per-user: `~/.config/vivaldi/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/etc/vivaldi/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json`
  - OS X
    - Per-user: `~/Library/Application Support/Vivaldi/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`
    - System-wide: `/Library/Application Support/Vivaldi/NativeMessagingHosts/passff.json`

### Troubleshooting

#### Script execution failed
#### Connection to the host app failed or returned an unexpected result

> Connection to the host app failed or returned an unexpected result!
> Make sure you have the latest version of the PassFF host app installed by following the installation instructions in the official git repository.

> Script execution failed.

You get one of these error messages? Follow the instructions below!

###### Remove old installations
*Inappropriate installations can override another one that could work. So, it is simpler to remove everything and restart from scratch.*
* Delete any file `passff.json` in the folders `native-messaging-hosts` and `NativeMessagingHosts`
  * For the complete paths of these folders for your OS and browser, see the section above.
* Verify all `passff.json` are deleted by doing a search.
  * Use your best file searching tool. For example: `find / -type f -name 'passff.json'`

###### Reinstall the host application
See the section above.

###### Check that the host application is correctly installed
* Make sure the file `passff.py` is executable
  * `ls -l /path/to/passff.py`
* Open `passff.json` and verify `path` is set to the absolute path of the host executable `passff.py`: for example `"path": "/path/to/passff.py"`

#### PassFF's host application is not working and takes 99% CPU

###### Set a correct PATH in the `passff.py` script
When the PATH variable is not set correctly, `pass` will complain about not finding `getopt` and then loop forever. You can reproduce this behavior on the command line:
```bash
PATH="$(which bash | xargs dirname)" $(which pass)
```

### Advanced Troubleshooting
If nothing above has worked out your issue...

#### Gather information in the web browser
In the preferences of PassFF, you can enable the status bar and debug logs in the Web Console (to open the console: Ctrl+Shift+K in Firefox, Ctrl+Shift+J in Chrome/Chromium). Enable the debugging mode in `about:debugging`, and reload the app.

#### Make sure the version of the host application is supported by PassFF
* Open the `passff.py` file to find its version number
  * `head /path/to/passff.py`

#### Check the output of the host app
* Run `echo -e "\x02\x00\x00\x00[]" | /path/to/passff.py | tail -c +4; echo`
* The typical output for an empty store is:
  * `{"stderr": "", "version": "1.0.1", "exitCode": 0, "stdout": "Password Store\n"}`

#### Check the error code on failure
```console
$ strace -f --trace=execve --string-limit=256 firefox 2>&1 |grep passff
[pid 73124] execve("/home/<USER>/.mozilla/native-messaging-hosts/passff.py", ["/home/<USER>/.mozilla/native-messaging-hosts/passff.py", "/home/<USER>/.mozilla/native-messaging-hosts/passff.json", "passff@invicem.pro"], 0x7fce6a83e500 /* 77 vars */) = -1 EACCES (Permission denied)
```

#### Check the security module configuration
If your browser is confined by a security module such as AppArmor, then its policies might deny the execution of the host application, resulting in syslog entries like this:
```console
$ grep passff /var/log/syslog
Apr 22 19:55:24 <HOST> kernel: [70746.170024] audit: type=1400 audit(1650650124.793:2258): apparmor="DENIED" operation="exec" profile="firefox" name="/home/<USER>/.mozilla/native-messaging-hosts/passff.py" pid=73124 comm=444F4D20576F726B6572 requested_mask="x" denied_mask="x" fsuid=1000 ouid=1000
```
Similarly, OpenBSD has its own ways to restrict execution of scripts by Firefox. See the "Installation" section above for instructions on how to remove those restrictions.

#### Testing OTP support
```console
$ echo -e "\x19\x00\x00\x00[\"otp\",\"/www/example.com\"]" | /path/to/passff.py | tail -c +4; echo
{"exitCode": 0, "stderr": "", "stdout": "123456\n", "version": "1.0.1"}
```

### Preferences
If you use a customized `pass` installation: environment variables, customized repository path or extensions, you may have to customize the *preferences section* in `passff.py`.

By modifying the *preferences section* in `passff.py`, you will be able to set:
  - `COMMAND`: the path to the `pass` script,
  - `COMMAND_ARGS`: additional command line arguments that are passed to `pass`,
  - `COMMAND_ENV`: additional environment variables,
  - `CHARSET`: the shell stdout charset.

If you are using [NixOS linux](https://github.com/tadfisher/pass-otp#nixnixos), you can install extensions like pass-otp in passff-host with:

    environment.systemPackages = with pkgs; [
    ...
    (pass.withExtensions (ext: with ext; [pass-otp]))
    (firefox.override { extraNativeMessagingHosts = [(passff-host.overrideAttrs (old: { dontStrip = true; patchPhase = ''
    sed -i 's#COMMAND = "pass"#COMMAND = "${pass.withExtensions (ext: with ext; [pass-otp])}/bin/pass"#' src/passff.py
    ''; }))]; })
    ...];

The string "..." is to be replaced by the list of all other packages installed by root on your NixOS.