Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

Enabling with Authentication Tool 287Enabling with the Authentication ToolAll of these user information databases and authentication methods can be easily set upwith the Authentication Configuration (system-config-authentication) tool, which hasa text-based, graphical, and a command-line version. The text-based or command-lineversions are useful when running them remotely over SSH without X forwarding enabledor when running them from a console instead of the graphical desktop. The commandlineversion, which is executed with the authconfig command, can be non-interactive foruse in scripts or kickstart.12To use this utility, install the authconfig RPM package as described in Chapter 3,“Operating System Updates.” Also install the authconfig-gtk package if you want to usethe graphical version.When the application is started, you are prompted for the root password before continuingif you are not already logged in as root. This section assumes you are using the graphicalversion of the tool. The same general steps apply for the text-based version, but theinterface might differ slightly.Figure 12.1 shows the graphical application. As you can see, three tabs divide the applicationinto functional groups: User Information, Authentication, and Options. It isassumed that the administrator has installed all necessary RPM packages for any servicerequired before enabling them with this tool. All services and options are shown in theinterface regardless of which packages are currently installed. Refer to the sections earlier inthe chapter for a list of packages necessary for each type of identity management service.FIGURE 12.1User Information