How to store SMTP credentials via Secret Service API?

[John Steele Scott <toojays@toojays.net>]

I'd like to store my SMTP authentication details using the Secret Service API, rather than keep them in the authinfo file. However, I'm having trouble creating the credential in the first place.

If I eval something like:

(secrets-create-item "Default" "toojays.net smtp" "my-secret-password"
 :host "my-mail-host" 
 :port "587"
 :user "toojays@toojays.net")

it errors like:

Secret Service session: /org/freedesktop/secrets/session/s287
byte-code: D-Bus error: "Method \"CreateItem\" with signature \"a{sv}(oayay)b\" on interface \"org.freedesktop.Secret.Collection\" doesn't exist

I found a similar error in a bug report for a different application <https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/python-launchpadlib/+bug/745540> where it seems like a compatibility issue due to a different version of gnome-keyring. My system is running Ubuntu 12.04 and has gnome-keyring 3.2.2-2ubuntu4.1, and also mate-keyring 1.6.0-1+precise.

Is there a workaround for this?

For instance, if I could create the key some other way (e.g. via seahorse), will Emacs be able to retrieve it?

Have I even used the correct syntax to create the key?

Thanks,

John