[gulmatan]

Refresher coursse please.

Please describe the differences between Keychains and those things in Browesers that say, "Would you like 'ProgramSuchAndSuch' to remember your login ID/Password".

Thanks

[tooki]

A cookie is a small file (limited to a very short amount of text) that a website can store on your computer to remember you, or your site preferences. Then, when you visit the site later, it can read back the cookies to see who you are. That's how MacNN Forums keep track of someone being logged in, for example.

You can only really choose whether to accept or deny cookies, and their contents are generally not human-readable.

A keychain is an encrypted password database that Mac OS stores for you. Web browsers (and other programs) can use it to remember login information for you. For example, your web browser can offer to save a website login in the keychain, but the website knows nothing about this.

The main thing is that a website, not you, save a cookie. The keychain only gets things added when you permit it, and only you (NOT a website!) can permit changes to the keychain.

tooki

[mduell]

In short:

A keychain entry records how to log into a site (i.e. what your username/password is).
A cookie records that you have logged into a site (i.e. what your username/session expiration is).

[gulmatan]

I'm STILL confused. What are Keychains then? Are they those things that save your webpage (MacWorld Forums, LA Times, NY Times) login info or are those Cookies?

[PurpleGiant]

Keychains are used for any username/password combo on your Mac. Nearly every program that uses any form of username/password will let you save details to the keychain.

Cookies are only used with website. The website chooses which info to store on your machine. Their purposes slightly cross paths on the web, since a website and/or web browser can store your login details (website with cookies, web browser with keychain).