How to Fix “Authentication Is Required to Create a Color Managed Device” in Ubuntu

Logging into your Ubuntu desktop remotely via Remote Desktop (xrdp), VNC, or waking up your local workstation only to be immediately confronted by a persistent authentication modal dialogue stating “Authentication is required to create a color managed device” (or “Authentication is required to create a color profile”) is an infuriating nuisance. Entering your administrative password often simply causes the prompt to reappear two or three times in succession before finally disappearing.

This recurring popup is triggered by the colord daemon, Ubuntu’s background service responsible for managing display color profiles, monitor calibration, and ICC profiles. When a user connects to Ubuntu via a remote or non-physical seat (such as through xrdp or VNC), Ubuntu’s PolicyKit (Polkit) security framework treats the session as an unverified remote login. Because colord requests system privileges to bind color devices to the display seat, Polkit blocks the action and demands administrator credentials. Following this tutorial will allow you to create declarative Polkit rules that grant permissions automatically and permanently silence the prompt.

Method 1: Create a Polkit Local Authority Rule (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS & 20.04 LTS)

On Ubuntu systems utilizing the classic Polkit local authority architecture (.pkla files), creating a permission rule allows all authenticated desktop users to manage color profiles without credential challenges.

1. Open your terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.
2. Create a new Polkit configuration file inside the local authority directory:

   sudo nano /etc/polkit-1/localauthority/50-local.d/45-allow-colord.pkla

3. Paste the following configuration block into the editor:

   [Allow Colord all Users]
   Identity=unix-user:*
   Action=org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-device;org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-profile;org.freedesktop.color-manager.delete-device;org.freedesktop.color-manager.delete-profile;org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-device;org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-profile
   ResultAny=no
   ResultInactive=no
   ResultActive=yes

4. Press Ctrl + O followed by Enter to save the file, then press Ctrl + X to exit nano.
5. Restart the Polkit daemon:

   sudo systemctl restart polkit

6. Log out and log back in (or reconnect your remote desktop session). The authentication popup will be silenced completely.

Method 2: Create a JavaScript Polkit Rule (Ubuntu 24.04 LTS & Modern systemd)

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS transitioned Polkit to modern JavaScript-based rule files stored in /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/. If your system utilizes modern Polkit rules, apply the rule using JavaScript syntax.

1. Open terminal and create the modern Polkit rule file:

   sudo nano /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/45-allow-colord.rules

2. Paste the following JavaScript rule into the file:

   polkit.addRule(function(action, subject) {
       if ((action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-device" ||
            action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.create-profile" ||
            action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.delete-device" ||
            action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.delete-profile" ||
            action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-device" ||
            action.id == "org.freedesktop.color-manager.modify-profile") &&
           subject.isInGroup("users")) {
           return polkit.Result.YES;
       }
   });

3. Save the file with Ctrl + O and exit with Ctrl + X.
4. Restart the Polkit service:

   sudo systemctl restart polkit

Method 3: Disable the colord Daemon (Headless Servers Only)

If you are administering a remote Ubuntu server that does not require monitor color calibration, disabling the colord service entirely removes the underlying trigger.

1. In terminal, stop the active colord daemon:

   sudo systemctl stop colord

2. Mask the service to prevent other desktop components from launching it:

   sudo systemctl mask colord

3. To revert this change in the future if color management is needed, simply run:

   sudo systemctl unmask colord && sudo systemctl start colord

Ubuntu Color Management Polkit Diagnostics Reference Table

Use the matrix below to assess and resolve Polkit authentication popups:

Session Environment	Underlying Cause	Recommended Solution
Prompt fires on connecting via XRDP remote desktop	XRDP sessions lack physical seat authorization	Create 45-allow-colord.pkla rule in /etc/polkit-1/
Prompt appears on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS login	New JavaScript Polkit engine requiring .rules format	Create 45-allow-colord.rules in /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/
Prompts repeat 3 times in a row on boot	colord querying internal monitor, GPU, and webcam	Grant “ResultActive=yes” to create-device and create-profile
Headless server with no physical monitor attached	colord attempting virtual display calibration	Execute sudo systemctl mask colord
“Authentication required to refresh repositories” popup	PackageKit polling updates in non-active session	Add PackageKit rule to 50-local.d or disable PackageKit

Securing Polkit Rules to Specific User Groups

If you share your Ubuntu machine with multiple remote users and prefer not to grant color management permissions universally to all accounts, restrict the rule to administrative users. In the .pkla file, change Identity=unix-user:* to Identity=unix-group:sudo. In modern .rules files, change subject.isInGroup("users") to subject.isInGroup("sudo"). This ensures that only authorized administrators bypass authentication dialogues.