Well, let's try this once again (previously in #13327). Old issue now closed is still very much actual in my case.

I haven't investigated this much, but it is totally annoying and unreliable. It doesn't work, really.

Steps to "reproduce" this issue:

1. run Chrome
2. access website/matomo/
3. enter log-in credentials, check 'remember me', submit login form
4. once logged-in, close Chrome
5. repeat from step (1) above - try to access website/matomo/ again, and ... log-in form is presented once again !?

I run Matomo on VPS and cPanel shared hosting plans, and it happens on both of them, and once-in-a-while Matomo decides to finally remember me, so it works for a while until I clear App Storage in Chrome or history + cookies.

What is happening here? I know you switched away from cookies, but sessions in:

/var/lib/php/sessions

files are all with 0 length.

Ok, so, Piwik/Matomo [maybe] stores sessions locally in its own folder (?):

website/matomo/tmp/sessions/

Ok, there we go. Now, here's the funny thing - if I delete those temp sessions in matomo's local tmp folder, I am still logged-in. So, they aren't used for that, huh??

Also, how / when are they being created in the first place? When I log-in, I don't see new session file stored in there. Also, php's default sessions files are not related with matomo's log-in, that makes sense already (read above).

So, it is stored in browser (where else could it possible be?)? Then, why this happens? Why Matomo keeps 'forgetting' me?

How can we fix this once and for all?

(please do not close this issue too early)

Thanks!