Bug#896922: [gnome-shell] gnome-shell: authentication dialogue doesn't appear after a little while

[Eric Lynch]

Package: gnome-shell
Version: 3.22.3-3
Severity: normal

--- Please enter the report below this line. ---

I'm running Debian 9.4 64-bit and it's fully updated.

After a little while, mainly after my computer has been idle for a
little while, the Authentication dialogues for root passwords just
stops appearing. For example, when I try to open Synaptic using its
icon in GNOME, it's supposed to pop up a "Authentication Required"
dialogue box so I can type in the root password, but that dialogue box
never appears and the "synaptic-pkexec" process just hangs forcing me
to kill the process. I can temporarily "fix" it by logging out and back
in again or restarting the computer but the issue returns after a
little while.

I'm not 100% positive but it seems to happen after my computer has been
idle.

NOTE: I can still start Synaptic via terminal using "sudo synaptic", I
just can't start it using it's icon until I restart. And it's not just
Synaptic, it does it with any other program that requires root
authentication to start.

I'm new at bug reporting and this is a strange bug (if it is a bug) so
I apologize if I missed some information or it's not formatted
correctly.


--- System information. ---
Architecture: 
Kernel:       Linux 4.9.0-6-amd64

Debian Release: 9.4
  500 stable-updates  deb.debian.org 
  500 stable          security.debian.org 
  500 stable          repository.spotify.com 
  500 stable          deb.debian.org 

--- Package information. ---
Depends                            (Version) | Installed
============================================-+-==============
gir1.2-glib-2.0                  (>= 1.45.3) | 1.50.0-1+b1
gir1.2-gtk-3.0                     (>= 3.16) | 3.22.11-1
gir1.2-mutter-3.0                (>= 3.22.1) | 3.22.3-2
gir1.2-networkmanager-1.0                    | 1.6.2-3
gir1.2-soup-2.4                  (>= 2.40.1) | 2.56.0-2+deb9u1
gir1.2-telepathyglib-0.12                    | 0.24.1-1.1
dconf-gsettings-backend                      | 0.26.0-2+b1
 OR gsettings-backend                        | 
libatk-bridge2.0-0                (>= 2.5.3) | 2.22.0-2
libatk1.0-0                      (>= 1.12.4) | 
libc6                              (>= 2.14) | 
libcairo2                        (>= 1.14.0) | 
libcanberra-gtk3-0                 (>= 0.25) | 
libcanberra0                        (>= 0.2) | 
libcroco3                         (>= 0.6.2) | 
libdbus-glib-1-2                   (>= 0.78) | 
libecal-1.2-19                     (>= 3.17) | 
libedataserver-1.2-22            (>= 3.17.2) | 
libgcr-base-3-1                   (>= 3.8.0) | 
libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0               (>= 2.22.0) | 
libgirepository-1.0-1             (>= 0.9.2) | 
libgjs0-libmozjs-24-0                        | 
libgjs0e                         (>= 1.46.0) | 
libglib2.0-0                     (>= 2.45.3) | 
libgstreamer1.0-0                 (>= 1.4.0) | 
libgtk-3-0                       (>= 3.21.6) | 
libical2                          (>= 2.0.0) | 
libicu57                        (>= 57.1-1~) | 
libjson-glib-1.0-0               (>= 0.13.2) | 
libmozjs-24-0                                | 
libmutter0i                      (>= 3.21.0) | 
libnm-glib4                     (>= 0.8.998) | 
libnm-util2                     (>= 0.8.998) | 
libpango-1.0-0                   (>= 1.14.0) | 
libpangocairo-1.0-0              (>= 1.14.0) | 
libpolkit-agent-1-0                (>= 0.99) | 
libpolkit-gobject-1-0              (>= 0.94) | 
libpulse-mainloop-glib0          (>= 0.99.1) | 
libpulse0                        (>= 0.99.1) | 
libsecret-1-0                       (>= 0.7) | 
libstartup-notification0           (>= 0.11) | 
libsystemd0                                  | 
libtelepathy-glib0               (>= 0.17.5) | 
libwayland-client0                (>= 1.0.2) | 
libx11-6                                     | 
libxfixes3                                   | 
evolution-data-server            (>= 3.17.2) | 
gir1.2-gdm-1.0                   (>= 3.18.2) | 
gir1.2-accountsservice-1.0                   | 
gir1.2-atspi-2.0                 (>= 2.9.91) | 
gir1.2-caribou-1.0                (>= 0.4.8) | 
gir1.2-freedesktop                           | 
gir1.2-gdesktopenums-3.0           (>= 3.12) | 
gir1.2-gcr-3                      (>= 3.7.5) | 
gir1.2-gnomebluetooth-1.0        (>= 3.12.0) | 
gir1.2-gnomedesktop-3.0          (>= 3.12.0) | 
gir1.2-gweather-3.0                          | 
gir1.2-ibus-1.0                   (>= 1.5.2) | 
gir1.2-nmgtk-1.0                  (>= 0.9.8) | 
gir1.2-pango-1.0                             | 
gir1.2-polkit-1.0                            | 
gir1.2-telepathylogger-0.2        (>= 0.8.0) | 
gir1.2-upowerglib-1.0              (>= 0.99) | 
gjs                              (>= 1.39.0) | 
gnome-settings-daemon            (>= 3.16.0) | 
gnome-shell-common              (= 3.22.3-3) | 
gnome-backgrounds               (>= 3.13.90) | 
gsettings-desktop-schemas        (>= 3.21.3) | 
mutter                           (>= 3.22.1) | 
python3                                      | 
libglib2.0-bin                 (>= 2.40.0-3) | 


Recommends                            (Version) | Installed
===============================================-+-=================
gkbd-capplet                                    | 3.22.0.1-1+b1
gnome-contacts                                  | 3.22.1-1+b2
gnome-control-center                            | 1:3.22.2-3
gnome-themes-standard-data                      | 3.22.2-2
gnome-user-guide                                | 3.22.0-1
gdm3                           (>= 3.10.0.1-3~) | 3.22.3-3+deb9u1
iio-sensor-proxy                                | 2.0-4
unzip                                           | 6.0-21


Package's Suggests field is empty.