element-hq / element-hq/element-web
element-desktop fails to launch in a jail when dbus is disabled
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Description
### Steps to reproduce
1. Where are you starting? What can you see?
```
env DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=none firejail --noprofile --private=~/.firejail element-desktop
```
-> element-desktop launches, but fails to recognize the active session:
Failed to load database
**Clear data and reload?**
Unable to access secret from system keyring, it appears to have changed.
2. What do you click?
If this dialog is confirmed with "yes", it wipes the active session from the jail and still fails to launch. Selecting "No" will of course terminate the application
3. More steps…
Starting element-desktop without disabling DBUS works fine:
```
firejail --noprofile --private=~/.firejail element-desktop
```
Using DBUS is not a solution, because DBUS itself is a security liability, in that it allows a jailed application to access services outside the jail - and additionally, when file dialogues are concerned, it creates an intransparency for the user as to whether a jailed application sees their home folder only thanks to DBUS, or whether they (accidentally) launched the application outside a jail.
Element-desktop worked fine without DBUS until ca. 1 1/2 years ago, and then the changed authentication system broke that. Please reimplement support that does not require DBUS.
### Outcome
#### What did you expect?
I expect element to launch without dbus
#### What happened instead?
Element fails to launch without dbus
### Operating system
Linux 6.1.0-40-amd64 element-hq/element-desktop#1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.153-1 (2025-09-20) x86_64 GNU/Linux
### Application version
Element version: 1.12.3
### How did you install the app?
packages.element.io/debian
### Homeserver
matrix.org
### Will you send logs?
No
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