Bug 8510 - Allow toggling password visibility in client
Summary: Allow toggling password visibility in client
Status: CLOSED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: ThinLinc
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Client (show other bugs)
Version: trunk
Hardware: PC Unknown
: P2 Normal
Target Milestone: 4.19.0
Assignee: Samuel Mannehed
URL:
Keywords: ossman_tester, relnotes
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2025-02-05 10:29 CET by Samuel Mannehed
Modified: 2025-02-14 13:10 CET (History)
0 users

See Also:
Acceptance Criteria:
MUST * A user must be able to toggle visibility of the password in the login window of the native client. * The choice must not be remembered, and default to hidden when starting the client. SHOULD * The metaphor or icon for the toggle should be recognizable and familiar. COULD * The visibility of the password could return to hidden when the user no longer uses the password input field.

Attachments
Screenshot of how Edge displays the show-toggle for passwords (7.92 KB, image/png)
2025-02-05 10:29 CET, Samuel Mannehed 		Details
View All Add an attachment (proposed patch, testcase, etc.)

Description Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-05 10:29:10 CET 
Created attachment 1260 [details]
Screenshot of how Edge displays the show-toggle for passwords

Entering a password can be inconvenient and prone to typing errors. To simplify the process, many apps introduce an eye icon that toggles password visibility. Some also add a checkbox below the password field, for showing the password.

This feature would be useful in the ThinLinc client.
Comment 2 Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-07 11:33:34 CET 
> MUST
> * A user must be able to toggle visibility of the password in the login window 
>   of the native client.

Yes, a toggle button has been added.

> * The choice must not be remembered, and default to hidden when starting the client.

It is not.

> SHOULD
> * The metaphor or icon for the toggle should be recognizable and familiar.

Yes, an "eye" is used, similar to what other people use. When disabling the visibility, this is symbolized with a "strike-through" of the eye. A "closed" eye was difficult to fit into our tiny input fields.

> COULD
> * The visibility of the password could return to hidden when the user no longer 
>   uses the password input field.

No.
Comment 3 Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-07 12:19:56 CET 
One area for improvement is the colors of the "eye"-button. Ideally, they should be based on the FLTK background and foreground colors. That way they will automatically match the UI when stuff is changed (like dark-mode). Currently, the images are hard-coded to be black lines on a white background.
Comment 4 Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-07 12:20:50 CET 
I tested on Fedora 41, Windows 11 and macOS 15 (ARM).
Comment 6 Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-07 14:28:03 CET 
The look of the "eye"-button has now been fixed for when the input is disabled.
Comment 7 Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-11 13:41:31 CET 
Characters in the password input appear on KEYDOWN. The toggle eye button currently shows on KEYUP. The time between these two events could be misinterpreted as a delay, or some sort of lag when showing the eye.
Comment 9 Samuel Mannehed cendio 2025-02-11 13:49:51 CET 
(In reply to Samuel Mannehed from comment #7)
> Characters in the password input appear on KEYDOWN. The toggle eye button
> currently shows on KEYUP. The time between these two events could be
> misinterpreted as a delay, or some sort of lag when showing the eye.

Fixed in r41551
Comment 10 Pierre Ossman cendio 2025-02-14 13:07:19 CET 
Seems to work nicely. Looks and behaves well on all platforms. Tested Fedora 41, Windows 11, and macOS 15.

> MUST
> * A user must be able to toggle visibility of the password in the login window of the native client.

Yup. You can easily toggle by clicking the icon.

> * The choice must not be remembered, and default to hidden when starting the client.

As far as I can tell.

> SHOULD
> * The metaphor or icon for the toggle should be recognizable and familiar.

I think so. I think everyone uses some eye metaphor.

> COULD
> * The visibility of the password could return to hidden when the user no longer uses the password input field.

Not implemented.

The screenshot of the password field in the TAG hasn't been updated. But this is a minor detail, so it's not critical.

We also have a bunch more password prompts. E.g. the smart card passphrase prompt. These have not been updated. We might want to adjust those as well in the future.
Comment 11 Pierre Ossman cendio 2025-02-14 13:10:39 CET 
Also checked the code and release notes. Both look good.
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