Chapter 26. Authentication Configuration
When a user logs in to a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, the username and password combination must be verified, or authenticated, as a valid and active user. Sometimes the information to verify the user is located on the local system, and other times the system defers the authentication to a user database on a remote system.
The Authentication Configuration Tool provides a graphical interface for configuring user information retrieval from NIS, LDAP, and Hesiod servers. This tool also allows you to configure LDAP, Kerberos, and SMB as authentication protocols.
Note
If you configured a medium or high security level during installation (or with the Security Level Configuration Tool), then the firewall will prevent NIS (Network Information Service) authentication.
This chapter does not explain each of the different authentication types in detail. Instead, it explains how to use the Authentication Configuration Tool to configure them.
To start the graphical version of the Authentication Configuration Tool from the desktop, select the System (on the panel) > > or type the command system-config-authentication at a shell prompt (for example, in an XTerm or a GNOME terminal).
Important
After exiting the authentication program, the changes made take effect immediately.
The User Information tab allows you to configure how users should be authenticated, and has several options. To enable an option, click the empty checkbox beside it. To disable an option, click the checkbox beside it to clear the checkbox. Click OK to exit the program and apply the changes.
The following list explains what each option configures:
The ypbind package must be installed for this option to work. If NIS support is enabled, the portmap and ypbind services are started and are also enabled to start at boot time.
The openldap-clients package must be installed for this option to work.
The hesiod package must be installed for this option to work.
For more information about Hesiod, refer to its man page using the command man hesiod. You can also refer to the hesiod.conf man page (man hesiod.conf) for more information on LHS and RHS.
