Re: NO multiple logins !! Livingston won't listen

Matthew N. Dodd (winter@jurai.net)
Wed, 26 Jun 1996 03:27:49 -0500 (CDT)

On Mon, 24 Jun 1996, Zeta Gryphon wrote:
> See, the thing about this is, we're not just content to implement
> something - we have to go all the way around the Horn and implement it
> RIGHT. There are a couple three different ways to do this, but none
> of them are foolproof, all of them are vulnerable to various problems
> - wrongly restricting users due to PM or network problems, holes that
> let people sneak through, etc.

Anyone that has looked at the code has come to this conclusion. I've got
my copy of radiusd hacked up to refuse multiple logins and such, but there
is no way in hell I want anyone to see how I'm doing it. Its ugly, and
I'm only comfortable using it where I can keep a close eye on it.

Something like this needs to be implemented using local autentication
policies. Currently I've got my radiusd checking GIDs, special fields in
the password file, prefix characters to the encrypted passwords, and flat
text files with lists of 'open' accounts. All of these are 'local'
policies that apply to MY system and my system only. At best, Livingston
should make 'hooks' in radius so that people can add their own conditional
authentications.

> Anyway, I think I can safely say that, all debate aside, the demand
> for this feature is fair-to-middlin'ly huge, and it'd be pretty silly
> of us not to get round to making a reality, however non-trivial it
> is. It's just a matter of that one commodity our engineering folks
> don't have an abundance of - time.

While I agree with this, these little things are a sort of 'trial by fire'
for ISPs. I'm of the opinion that if they can't fill in the blanks and
build their own tools they have no business in this field. I'm no C
programmer but I got my shit together and solved my own problems, and
didn't fuss at someone else to make my life easier.

Rock on Livingston, and don't hesitate in the face of lusers.

| Matthew N. Dodd | winter@jurai.net | http://www.jurai.net/~winter |
| Technical Manager | mdodd@intersurf.net | http://www.intersurf.net |
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