When you create a Fission Account, whether signing up on the web or using the command line as a developer, it creates a username and email address in our service database, and also a private / public key pair representing that account.
We also create a Fission Web Native File System (WNFS) attached to your account, and given you access to Fission Drive, which lets you browse all your files, access them from any browser, and see which apps are attached to your file system.
We verify your email address, and can use that to help manage aspects of your service with us. You hold access to the keys connected to your account, and sign in happens automatically.
We encourage you to "link" your account to multiple devices -- your desktop and your phone, your home and your work computers, and so on. These devices can then be used to login, or link more accounts. You can read more about Account Linking »
Each device gets their own private key using the WebCrypto API built into modern browsers. Private keys shouldn't be copied around, so instead, we link keys indicating they have access to the same account.
There is no "sign out" for a Fission-powered app. You use your key to do a passwordless login, stored in your local desktop browser, mobile web browser, or your local desktop file system with the command line developer tool.
While your device is linked with a key, Fission apps will check that you have a key with the proper permission, and will just let you right in, without having to remember a password or even a username.
This is like your smartphone: only a single user is "logged in" to their personal phone, and they aren't shared.
A Fission app is more like an app that you download on your phone. When you don't want the app anymore, you delete it.
If you want it again in the future, you download it again, by giving permission to the app store to install it. You then might give permission to access other parts of your phone, like the camera or GPS.
We don't delete the data that the app stored for you, since it's stored in your own Fission File System -- just like data is stored on your phone.
As part of signing into an app, an app will ask for certain permissions. Right now, these are mostly related to access to your file system.
By default, every app needs access to an App Folder. You'll need to at least grant access to an App Folder for the app to function correctly.
Instead of signing out, you may want to revoke -- or delete -- an app's access to your account.
You can even revoke access to the default Drive app, but we'll ask you to make an extra confirmation. You'll need to use another tool or developer API access to manage your Fission File System attached to your account.
Browsers and desktop computers aren't smartphones, and they do get shared. You can unlink a device -- remove your key -- by visiting the Fission Auth page.
You may create multiple Fission accounts, but you'll need a unique email address and username for each one. You'll also need to use Browser Profiles to be able to access them at the same time on the same machine, as the keys that grant access are stored in the browser.
This will eventually be a guide entry that documents how to use a combination of a special backup file as well as email account validation to allow for full account recovery, including private files and data.
To get setup on different devices or browsers, follow the account linking process
To have access to your account across multiple devices, you need to link them.
When you visit an app on a new device and Sign in with Fission, or if you go directly to the Fission Auth page, you'll be prompted to either create a new account or link an existing one:
If you have an account already, click the sign in button:
The only thing you need to know is your username. Enter it, and hit the link account button:
As you can see, you are now being asked to open the Fission Auth page on your other device. This might be your other computer or perhaps your phone. There is also a short message telling us that this is for the boris0902 username.
Once you open the Fission Auth page on your other device, it will detect the linking request and display a page like this.
The new device you are linking should show the same numbers:
Since we can see the numbers are the same, we can go ahead and hit the "Approve" button, and you'll see this success message.
Switching to the new device you were linking, you'll see this message:
Now you can use either device with full authorization
And yes, this works on mobile too:
The Linking an existing user guide has details on linking accounts used at the command line.
