Passport.js failing to serialize user
express, node.js, passport.js
Solution
First you must understand what serialize and deserialize are meant for.
1) `serializeUser` take a user object and store any information you want in the session, when you return `done(null, user)`, as per your first question.
2) `deserializeUser` take the information stored in the session (sent by cookieSession in every request) and checks if the session is still valid for a user, and `if(!err) done(null,user)` is true, keeps the user in the session, where `else done(err,null)` removes it from the session, redirecting you to whatever your `app.get('/auth/:provider/callback')` sends the user to after checking if the session is timed out or not. This should clarify things for your second question.
Problem
I am using passport.js for Google, Facebook and Twitter logins only. Node.js v0.8.19 with express.js 3.1.0, and passportjs version 0.1.16. (passport-facebook - 0.1.5, twitter - 0.1.4 passport-goolge-oauth - 0.1.5 ) Everything works fine for a while, after an hour or so of the app running passport.js stops serializing the user into the req.user session. Facebook and google are receiving meaning full data from their respective api's ``` passport.use(new FacebookStrategy({ clientID: FACEBOOK_APP_ID, clientSecret: FACEBOOK_APP_SECRET, callbackURL: "http://localhost:3000/auth/facebook/callback" }, function(accessToken, refreshToken, profile, done) { var temp = {} temp.name = profile.displayName temp.id = profile.id console.log(temp) return done(null, temp); })); ``` The console.log here will successfully print user id and name, however after calling ``` passport.serializeUser(function(user, done) { done(null, user); }); passport.deserializeUser(function(obj, done) { done(null, obj); }); ``` Serialize and deserialize are taken from the passport-facebook example. The user will not be attached to req.user. Twitter never gets that far, after returning to the callback url, twitter gives the error: ``` Error: failed to find request token in session [03/11 23:28:24 GMT] at Strategy.OAuthStrategy.authenticate ``` Note: these failures only happen after a period of time, the work properly for a while. Thats why I think it may be a memory issue, like Im saving the session in memory instead of a cooke. This is my express app configuration ``` app.configure(function(){ app.set('port', process.env.PORT || 8080); app.set('views', __dirname + '/views'); app.set('view engine', 'jade'); app.use(express.favicon()); app.use(express.logger('dev')); app.use(express.cookieParser()); app.use(express.bodyParser()); app.use(express.methodOverride()); app.use(express.cookieSession({ secret: 'tobo!', cookie: { maxAge: new Date(Date.now() + 3600000), }})); app.use(passport.initialize()); app.use(passport.session()); app.use(app.router); app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/public')); }); ``` I have looked at the mailing list etc, but I could not find something matching this problem. I have checked on my localhost and on a nodejitsu server. Everything works for a while then fails.