term% cat index.txt KEYFS(4) Kernel Interfaces Manual KEYFS(4)
NAME
keyfs, warning - authentication database files
SYNOPSIS
auth/keyfs [ -d ] [ -p ] [ -w [np] ] [ -mmntpt ] [ -kkey ] [ keyfile ]
auth/warning [ -n ] [ -p ]
DESCRIPTION
Keyfs serves a two-level file tree for manipulating authentication in‐
formation. It runs on the machine providing authentication service for
the local Plan 9 network, which may be a dedicated authentication
server or a CPU server. The programs described in auth(8) use keyfs as
their interface to the authentication database.
Keyfs reads and decrypts file keyfile (default /adm/keys) using the DES
key key, which is by default read from #r/nvram (see rtc(3)). With op‐
tion -p, keyfs prompts for the password. Keyfile holds a 41-byte
record for each user in the database. Each record is encrypted sepa‐
rately and contains the user's name, DES key, status, host status, and
expiration date. The name is a null-terminated UTF string NAMELEN
bytes long. The status is a byte containing binary 0 if the account is
enabled, 1 if it is disabled. Host status is a byte containing binary
1 if the user is a host, 0 otherwise. The expiration date is four-byte
little-endian integer which represents the time in seconds since the
epoch (see date(1)) at which the account will expire. If any changes
are made to the database that affect the information stored in keyfile,
a new version of the file is written.
There are two authentication databases, one for Plan 9 user informa‐
tion, and one for SecureNet user information. A user need not be in‐
stalled in both databases but must be installed in the Plan 9 database
to connect to a Plan 9 server.
Keyfs serves an interpretation of the keyfile in the file tree rooted
at mntpt (default /mnt/keys). Each user user in keyfile is represented
as the directory mntpt/user.
Making a new directory in mntpt creates a new user entry in the data‐
base. Removing a directory removes the user entry, and renaming it
changes the name in the entry. Such changes are reflected immediately
in keyfile. Keyfs does not allow duplicate names when creating or re‐
naming user entries.
All files in the user directories except for key contain UTF strings
with a trailing newline when read, and should be written as UTF strings
with or without a trailing newline. Key contains the DESKEYLEN-byte
encryption key for the user.
The following files appear in the user directories.
key The authentication key for the user. If the user's account is
disabled or expired, reading this file returns an error. Writ‐
ing key changes the key in the database.
log The number of consecutive failed authentication attempts for the
user. Writing the string bad increments this number; writing
good resets it to 0. If the number reaches fifty, keyfs dis‐
ables the account. Once the account is disabled, the only way
to enable it is to write the string ok to status. This number
is not stored in keyfile, and is initialized to 0 when keyfs
starts.
status The current status of the account, either ok or disabled. Writ‐
ing ok enables the account; writing disabled disables it.
expire The expiration time for the account. When read, it contains ei‐
ther the string never or the time in seconds since the epoch
that the account will expire. When written with strings of the
same form, it sets the expiration date for the user. If the ex‐
piration date is reached, the account is not disabled, but key
cannot be read without an error.
ishost This file exists only if the user is a host (the host status for
the user is 1). Hosts are the only users able to receive calls.
Creating it makes the user a host and sets the host status to 1,
and removing it sets the host status to 0.
If the -w option is on, keyfs runs the command warning once every 24
hours to mail people about expiring keys. Warnings are sent 14 days
and 7 days prior to expiration. The argument to -w, either p or n, is
passed to warning to restrict the warnings to the Plan 9 or SecureNet
database. The default for keyfs is not to call warning at all; warn‐
ing's own default is to warn about both. The files /adm/netkeys.who
and /adm/keys.who are used to find the mail addresses to send to. The
first word on each line identifies a user. Any subsequent strings on
the line delimited '<' and '>' are considered mail addresses to send
warnings to. If multiple lines match a user, the last in the file is
used. Changeuser (see auth(8)) adds lines to these files.
FILES
/adm/keys
Encrypted key file for the Plan 9 database.
/adm/netkeys
Encrypted key file for the SecureNet database.
/adm/keys.who
List of users in the Plan 9 database.
/adm/netkeys.who
List of users in the SecureNet database.
#r/nvram
The non-volatile RAM on the server, which holds the key used to
decrypt key files.
SOURCE
/sys/src/cmd/auth/keyfs.c
/sys/src/cmd/auth/warning.c
SEE ALSO
auth(6), namespace(6), auth(8)
KEYFS(4)