Unable To Provide Alternative Hexpm Credentials For `gleam Publish`

Mar 9, 2025 by ADMIN 68 views

Unable to Provide Alternative HexPM Credentials for gleam publish

When working with the Gleam package manager, users often encounter issues with authentication and credentials. In this article, we will explore a specific problem that arises when attempting to publish a package using alternative HexPM credentials. We will delve into the steps to reproduce this issue and provide a detailed explanation of the error encountered.

If you have already authenticated and saved a local token for Gleam to interact with the Hex API, it becomes impossible to provide alternative user/pass credentials when publishing a package. This limitation can be frustrating, especially when working on multiple projects or with different accounts.

Error Message

Attempting to publish a package by setting HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS variables results in the following error:

error: Failed to decrypt data

A problem was encountered decrypting data.
The error from the encryption library was:

    Decryption failed

Steps to Reproduce

To reproduce this issue, follow these steps:

Step 1: Generate a Local Hex Token

First, generate a local Hex token for a HexPM account using the following command:

gleam hex authenticate

This command will prompt you to enter your HexPM credentials and save a local token for future use.

Step 2: Set Alternative Credentials

Next, set the HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS variables to the alternative account credentials:

HEXPM_USER=a_different_account HEXPM_PASS=****** gleam publish

Step 3: Observe the Error

Run the gleam publish command with the alternative credentials set. Observe the error message, which should resemble the one shown above.

Explanation of the Error

The error message indicates that there was a problem decrypting data. In this case, the encryption library failed to decrypt the data, resulting in a Decryption failed error.

Why This Happens

The reason for this behavior is that Gleam stores the local token securely using encryption. When you authenticate with a local token, Gleam uses this token to interact with the Hex API. However, when you try to provide alternative credentials using HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS, Gleam attempts to decrypt the stored token using the new credentials. Since the token was encrypted using the original credentials, the decryption fails, resulting in the error.

Workarounds

While it is not possible to provide alternative credentials when publishing a package, there are a few workarounds to achieve the desired outcome:

1. Delete the Local Token

Delete the local token stored by Gleam using the following command:

gleam hex delete-token

This will remove the stored token, and you will be prompted to authenticate again when running gleam publish.

2. Use a Different Account

If you have multiple accounts, you can use a different account for publishing by generating a new local token for that account.

3. Use Environment Variables

You can set the HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS variables as environment variables instead of using the HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS variables. This will allow you to use different credentials for publishing.

In conclusion, the inability to provide alternative HexPM credentials for gleam publish is a limitation of the Gleam package manager. While it may seem frustrating, there are workarounds to achieve the desired outcome. By understanding the issue and the error message, you can take steps to resolve the problem and continue working with Gleam.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Unable to Provide Alternative HexPM Credentials for gleam publish

A: The error occurs because Gleam stores the local token securely using encryption. When you authenticate with a local token, Gleam uses this token to interact with the Hex API. However, when you try to provide alternative credentials using HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS, Gleam attempts to decrypt the stored token using the new credentials. Since the token was encrypted using the original credentials, the decryption fails, resulting in the error.

A: Yes, you can delete the local token stored by Gleam using the following command:

gleam hex delete-token

This will remove the stored token, and you will be prompted to authenticate again when running gleam publish. However, keep in mind that this will also remove any stored credentials, so you will need to re-authenticate with your original credentials.

A: Yes, you can use a different account for publishing by generating a new local token for that account. To do this, run the following command:

gleam hex authenticate

This will prompt you to enter the credentials for the new account, and a new local token will be generated.

A: Yes, you can set the HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS variables as environment variables instead of using the HEXPM_USER and HEXPM_PASS variables. To do this, add the following lines to your shell configuration file (e.g., ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc):

export HEXPM_USER=a_different_account
export HEXPM_PASS=******

Then, run the gleam publish command as usual.

A: Unfortunately, no, there is no way to bypass the encryption and use alternative credentials without deleting the local token. The encryption is a security feature designed to protect your credentials, and it is not possible to disable it.

A: Yes, you can report this issue to the Gleam team and request a fix. You can open an issue on the Gleam GitHub repository or contact the Gleam team directly. They will be happy to help you and may be able to provide a fix or a workaround.

A: This issue is specific to the gleam publish command. However, it is possible that similar issues may occur with other Gleam commands that use the local token for authentication. If you encounter any issues with other Gleam commands, be sure to report them to the Gleam team.