Cant log in to n8n running in docker container

Questions
1

Describe the problem/error/question

I have an n8n instance running in a docker container. Everything worked just fine for months. Now I suddenly am asked to sign in when accessing n8n at “localhost:5678”. I’ve tried all the credentials I could have possibly used, but it doesnt work. When I click on “Forgot my pasword” I get: “Please contact your admin. n8n isn’t set up to send email right now.”

I’ve tried running “n8n user-management:reset” and it returns a “Successfully …” But when I then try to access n8n it still wants me to sign in. (Yes i’ve cleared my browser cache and restarted the container before trying)

I’ve also tried adding credentials in the /home/node/.n8n/config file, which also didnt change a thing.

Then I tried exporting my workflows via CLI command: n8n export:workflow --all
It returned:
Error exporting workflows. See log messages for details.
No workflows found with specified filters.

When looking into the logs, nothing suspicious was to be found.

So I cannot hard reset my n8n instance, because I cant export my data, but nothing else seems to be working.

What is the error message (if any)?

Problem logging in
Wrong username or password. Do you have caps lock on?

Please share your workflow

cant access it :confused:

Share the output returned by the last node

same thing

Information on your n8n setup

  • n8n version: 0.226.2
  • Database (default: SQLite): SQLite
  • n8n EXECUTIONS_PROCESS setting (default: own, main):
  • Running n8n via (Docker, npm, n8n cloud, desktop app): Docker
  • Operating system: Windows 11
2

Hey @Glenn_Zundel,

Best thing to do would be to run the reset command again but make sure you run it as the node user in the container.

Another option would be to set up the SMTP environment options using something like Mailtrap or Mailhog if you want a quick local smtp service and reset your password that way.

1 Like
3

Hey Jon,
thanks for the fast reply.

I tried issuing the reset command from /home/node if thats what you meant, it didnt work either :confused:

Is there any docs on how to set up the SMTP enviroment, cause I cant find anything.

4

Hey @Glenn_Zundel,

It wouldn’t just be from the home directory but also as the user in the docker container.

You can find the options on this page: User management | n8n Docs

5

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.