xref: /inferno-os/man/2/security-login (revision ce8e0d607a2bec33fcaac7237d0b5535e5b152a1)
SECURITY-LOGIN 2
NAME
login - verify credentials
SYNOPSIS
.EX include "keyring.m"; include "security.m"; login := load Login Login->PATH; login: fn(name, password, addr: string): (string, ref Keyring->Authinfo);
DESCRIPTION
The Login module is provided for use by a client of a certifying authority (CA) or `signer'. The login function communicates with a certifying authority (CA) in order to create a Keyring->Authinfo adt which contains a public/private key pair and a certificate signed by the CA (see keyring-intro (2)). The public/private key pair is generated by login using the same parameters as those in the signer's key (eg, algorithm and key length); see keyring-gensk (2). The procedure assumes a secret, i.e. a password, has already been established between the user and the CA. See changelogin (8) and keyfs (4) for how this password is managed at the CA.

Login connects, using dial (2), to the signer at network address addr , which is any form accepted by cs (8), including the special address $SIGNER , which cs will translate to the client's default signer (if there is one). Normally the incoming call will be given to logind (8) by svc (8).

Login sends the user name and password , using the protocol described in login (6), to justify the server's issuing a certificate, which is returned in a Keyring->Authinfo adt on success. The certificate can if desired be stored by Keyring->writeauthinfo ; see keyring-auth (2). The password is used by the encrypted key exchange protocol to establish a secure channel between user and CA.

SOURCE
/appl/lib/login.b
SEE ALSO
getauthinfo (8), keyring-auth (2), login (6), createsignerkey (8), logind (8)
DIAGNOSTICS
Login returns nil in the string component on success and a diagnostic string on error (with a nil Keyring->Authinfo reference).