# Session ID changes, causing loss of session

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-id-changes-causing-loss-of-session/158471>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [January 23, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-id-changes-causing-loss-of-session/158471 "2009-01-23T18:14:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![john\_old](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/9f8e36/32.png) [@john\_old](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/john_old)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/session-id-changes-causing-loss-of-session/158471/1 "2009-01-23T18:14:27Z")

</div>

I’m having a problem with sessions. I’m using Rails 2.0.2, and  
Firefox.

The problem is that the session\_id sometimes changes while users are  
using the application. This makes it appear to users that they have  
been ‘logged out’. Actually, of course, Rails just thinks it is  
dealing with a new user.

Below is an extreme example: I am viewing the login page of the  
application and just clicking the browser refresh button. You can see  
that I have a different Session ID on each refresh, even though the  
page and address are exactly the same.

Cookies are enabled in my browser and I can see the cookie stored on  
my machine (using the Firefox developer’s tool bar.)

If I enter my username/password, I am NOT logged in, because the  
session ID keeps changing.

Here is the strange part: if I delete the cookies in my browser, the  
problem goes away: the session id stops changing and I can log in with  
no problem.

Once I clean up my cookies, the application works fine for an certain  
period of time. It could be a few seconds or all day. But eventually  
the session\_id cookie gets ‘corrupted’ again, and I get logged out. I  
then need to delete the cookie to continue.

This is MOST annoying to my users. I need to solve this problem ASAP.  
Any thoughts, much appreciated.

– John

Processing UserController#signin (for 75.127.142.66 at 2009-01-23  
11:25:37) [GET]  
Session ID: bd27434ec1e39e52ebe2a2c7ae6a7adc  
Parameters: {“action”=\>“signin”, “controller”=\>“admin/user”}

> > > Request for client 48218343, freak  
> > > Rendering template within layouts/admin/standard  
> > > Rendering admin/user/signin  
> > > Completed in 0.01602 (62 reqs/sec) | Rendering: 0.00859 (53%) | DB:  
> > > 0.00000 (0%) | 200 OK [[https://www.freakystamps.com/admin/user/signin](https://www.freakystamps.com/admin/user/signin)]

### init fckeditor

Processing UserController#signin (for 75.127.142.66 at 2009-01-23  
11:25:40) [GET]  
Session ID: e317a7548c97f38f2fb68fd4e0004add  
Parameters: {“action”=\>“signin”, “controller”=\>“admin/user”}

> > > Request for client 48218343, freak  
> > > Rendering template within layouts/admin/standard  
> > > Rendering admin/user/signin  
> > > Completed in 0.02941 (34 reqs/sec) | Rendering: 0.01595 (54%) | DB:  
> > > 0.00000 (0%) | 200 OK [[https://www.freakystamps.com/admin/user/signin](https://www.freakystamps.com/admin/user/signin)]

### init fckeditor

Processing UserController#signin (for 75.127.142.66 at 2009-01-23  
11:25:44) [GET]  
Session ID: 04a5ae700f1a0e47748df3bbec4add21  
Parameters: {“action”=\>“signin”, “controller”=\>“admin/user”}

> > > Request for client 48218343, freak  
> > > Rendering template within layouts/admin/standard  
> > > Rendering admin/user/signin  
> > > Completed in 0.03012 (33 reqs/sec) | Rendering: 0.01610 (53%) | DB:  
> > > 0.00000 (0%) | 200 OK [[https://www.freakystamps.com/admin/user/signin](https://www.freakystamps.com/admin/user/signin)]