Unsupported Legacy Key File Format ?

[repsorp]

This message when opening KeePassXC 2.3.0 :

What would be the best way to generate a new supported key file ?

Operating system: Ubuntu 16.04

[phoerious]

You can go to Database/Change Master Key and then click on "Generate new key file" or simply use any other file with enough random or pseudo random data that only you own and nobody else.

[rominf]

I want to reopen this. This is not a bug, but a usability feature. Normal users care only about passwords, not about infrastructure. IMHO, the new key file should be generated automatically in place without any confirmation, because for a normal user it should be a black box and "it just works".

[phoerious]

I disagree with automatically regenerating the key file. It's like changing the password automatically without telling the user. Imagine we regenerate it at the user's home computer and then they go to work, update their database from Dropbox and can't open it anymore, because the right key file is at home.

[RealOrangeOne]

Most people choose not to sync the key in the same way they sync their database. I personally sync my database with Nextcloud, but manually install my key onto each device, which works very well for me. I spent some of this weekend upgrading to 2.3, and wrote up some documentation on it, including generating a new key: https://theorangeone.net/posts/keepassxc-2.3-migration/#new-key-files

[TheZ3ro]

I agree with @phoerious, users must have infrastructure/organization in place before using keyfiles otherwise they will lose access to their passwords' database

[affinityv]

Why can't the "original" key files co-exist? I like the possibility to not tie down my database to a single software base; I came from KP2 on Winblows, will the new key and current database work in Windows, or am I locked in to KPXC only now?

[TheZ3ro]

Nope, the new keyfile is supported in KP2 as well

[droidmonkey]

The new key works everywhere

[affinityv]

Okay, great. I thought that a file, any file or even multiple files could already be a "key file"; but the "legacy" xml version does things differently because it has a special format?

[phoerious]

Yes. There are various different key file formats for storing fixed-length secrets. If a key file is used that is in none of these formats, then the hash value of the whole key file is used, which is, in our opinion, the most sensible way of using a key file.