LinuxLink Key File

Introduction

On the LinuxLink site, users can generate a unique, secret API key. The key allows them to authenticate API requests without storing or entering their LinuxLink account passwords directly. This key would not allow anyone to access their accounts on the web, but because one could impersonate them while using certain services, users should still treat the key like they would a password.

Once a key is created, a file containing it can be downloaded for use by Vigiles, Desktop Factory, TimeStorm, and other Timesys tools.

Do not share your API key with anyone! There are instructions below for protecting it and creating a new one if you feel that it has been compromised.

Obtaining a Key

Keys are created on the user profile page page which is accessible from the user dropdown menu in the top navigation bar.

On that page you can generate a new key, see your current key, and download a prepared key file

Note: If you believe that your key has been compromised, you should generate a new one here as soon as possible.

The Key File

The key file is a JSON formatted file containing the user's email address and secret key. Timesys tools such as the Desktop Factory will look to this file for credentials to use when making LinuxLink API calls on your behalf.

File Location

The file should be saved to a folder called timesys in the user's home directory. e.g.:

/home/user/timesys/linuxlink_key

Many of our tools will expect to find the file in that location. In some cases the location may be overridden by an environment variable or configuration option. For example, checking for upstream updates in the Desktop Factory:

$ KEY_FILE=~/.linuxlink_key make checkupdates

When using Vigiles with Yocto, you may set the location in local.conf:

VIGILES_KEY_FILE = "/tools/timesys/linuxlink_key"

Protecting the Key

The API key, like a password, should remain secret (see the Introduction section for explanation).

It is therefore important to restrict access to the keyfile by making sure it is only readable or writable by the user:

$ chmod 600 ~/timesys/linuxlink_key
$ ls -l ~/timesys/linuxlink_key
-rw------- 1 user user 92 Sep 29 14:49 /home/user/timesys/linuxlink_key