Asterobot has to be signed in to your asterobot.net account before you can add a bot, and it installs marketplace packages with that account too. You never type your password into Asterobot for this: Asterobot gets a sign-in code, and you confirm that code on asterobot.net in your browser. When a code expires, Asterobot asks for a new one by itself.
When Asterobot asks you to sign in
Asterobot starts a sign-in on its own whenever it has none stored, which is the case on its first launch. It also starts one when asterobot.net stops accepting the sign-in it had, and when you click Sign in in Asteroboard after signing out.
Each time, you can reach the sign-in link from three places:
- The terminal, on the line right after
Website sign-in required. Please visit this link to authorize access to your account; the app will continue automatically once authorized. - A browser tab that Asterobot opens by itself, on the computer where it runs. It does that for the first code only: if that code expires, the next ones don't open a tab.
- Asteroboard's account button, at the bottom of the sidebar, which now reads Sign-in pending.
Confirm the code
- Open the link: click the account button in Asteroboard, or switch to the tab Asterobot opened.
- If asterobot.net asks you to sign in, sign in with your asterobot.net account. If you don't have one yet, you can create it now.
- Allow Asterobot to access your account.
- Close the tab. Within a few seconds, the terminal prints
Website sign-in completed, Asteroboard shows Logged in as followed by your name, and the account button shows your asterobot.net avatar and name.
Asterobot stays signed in after that, even when you restart it.
The code
The code has eight characters, digits and letters from A to F, and the link already contains it, after code=. Opening the link fills it in for you.
If you open the address without the code at the end, for example because you typed the link by hand on another device, asterobot.net shows a Connect a device page instead. Type the eight characters in the Device code field and confirm. Spaces, hyphens and small letters don't matter.
A code is valid for 15 minutes. If you don't confirm it in time, the terminal prints Sign-in was not completed in time; it will be offered again, and Asterobot asks for a new code by itself within a few minutes. The account button then opens the new link. For a new code right away, reload Asteroboard: if the account button reads Sign in, click it.
Messages on asterobot.net
| Message | What happened | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "This code is invalid or has expired. Check the code displayed on your device and try again." | The code was mistyped, was already used, or is more than 15 minutes old. | Check the code, or open the newest link Asterobot gave you. |
| "Too many incorrect codes have been entered. Wait a few minutes and try again." | 20 codes that didn't match were typed from your connection within 15 minutes. | Wait. You can type codes again at most 15 minutes after the last wrong one. |
| "The authorization was denied. You can close this page; your device will stop waiting shortly." | You refused access to Asterobot. | Nothing, if that's what you meant. Asterobot stops waiting and asks again later. |
| "This authorization link is invalid or has expired. Start again from your device." | The page was opened from an outdated or damaged link. | Open the newest link Asterobot gave you. |
| "This authorization session has expired. Start again from your device." | The code expired while you were signing in. | Open the newest link Asterobot gave you. |
| "The authorization could not be completed. Start again from your device." | asterobot.net couldn't finish the sign-in. | Open the newest link Asterobot gave you, or reload Asteroboard and click Sign in. |
Sign in from a phone
When Asterobot runs on a machine where you can't open a browser, such as a server, it can print the link as a QR code in its terminal:
- In Asteroboard, open Server > Config and turn on
website.showQRCode. - Wait for the next code. The QR code appears in the terminal above the line
Alternatively, scan the QR code above to open the link directly. - Scan it with your phone and confirm the code there.
The setting applies from the next code Asterobot asks for. If a code is already waiting, the QR code comes with the following one, or when Asterobot starts again without a sign-in.
The account button
| The account button shows | What it means | What a click does |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in, with a red dot | Asterobot isn't signed in and isn't waiting for a code. | Starts a new sign-in. |
| Sign-in pending | A code is waiting for you. | Opens the sign-in link in a new tab. |
| Your avatar and name, or Signed in while your profile loads | Asterobot is signed in. | Opens a menu with Account, Online Profile and Log out. |
Account opens a page about your asterobot.net account, described in Your account.
Sign out and back in
- Click the account button, then Log out. The Disconnect button on the Account page does the same thing.
- Confirm. Asterobot forgets its sign-in, and the account button reads Sign in again.
After you sign out, Asterobot doesn't sign back in by itself, not even when it restarts. To sign in again, click Sign in on the account button. Asterobot asks for a new code and opens the link in a browser tab on the computer where it runs, and the account button opens it too.
When the sign-in stops working
asterobot.net can stop accepting Asterobot's sign-in, for example once it has expired or has been revoked. When that happens, Asterobot forgets it and starts a new sign-in right away. The terminal shows a warning, such as Website rejected the token, then a new link, and the account button switches to Sign-in pending. Confirm the new code as described above.
Keep the sign-in private
Asterobot saves its sign-in in config.toml, as the website.token setting, which is how it stays signed in across restarts. Anyone who gets that value can use your asterobot.net access through it. Never share it, or the config.toml file that holds it. Getting help lists what's safe to share when you ask for help.