Design Specs: Authorization and Authentication

Objectives

This element will need to work with the core code of the web application to implement user authorization and authentication. Catalyst has great support for this already, but we will also need to build a user database for enabling greater customizability.

Is customization mainly for GBrowse? Are there any data that should not be available to public?

1. Users will be able to create new accounts, or log in to the system using an Open ID

2. User preferences will be stored in a back-end database...

different ways 1. catlayst simple login

2. advantages and disadvantage

Gbrowse Compatibility

Gbrowse2 user registration and login system

An optional user registration and login system allows users to register stable GBrowse accounts and to keep their settings and custom tracks when they move from one computer to another.

http://gmod.org/wiki/GBrowse_2.0_HOWTO#Configuring_the_User_Account_Database

Installing the necessary Perl modules

The login module needs to process OpenID transactions. It also needs to send outgoing email, which nowadays frequently requires authentication between the GBrowse web server host and the mail hub. The following additional libraries and modules are required for basic functionality:

Digest::SHA1

For creating and storing passwords. Available from CPAN or as Debian package or as Debian package libdigest-sha1-perl.

Crypt::SSLeay

For OpenID authentication. Available from CPAN or as Debian package libcrypt-ssleay-perl. This module in turn requires the OpenSSL package, Debian package libssl-dev.

Math::BigInt::Pari or Math::BigInt::GMP

These libraries speed up Net::OpenID::Consumer, and in particular reduce the time needed to run the Net::OpenID::Consumer tests. To use the Pari module you will first need to install libpari (http://pari.math.u-bordeaux.fr/).To use GMP install libGMP (http://gmplib.org/). Debian users can simply install libmath-bigint-gmp-perl.

Net::OpenID::Consumer

For OpenID authentication. Available from CPAN or as Debian package libnet-openid-consumer-perl.

If your preferred mail server requires user authentication to forward outgoing mail, then you will also need the following two modules:

Net::SMTP::SSL

Encrypted connections to mail servers. Available from CPAN or as Debian package libnet-smtp-ssl-perl.

Authen::SASL

Handle the authentication between mail client and server. Available from CPAN or as Debian package libauthen-sasl-perl.

To Explore

Catalyst::Plugin::Authentication

http://search.cpan.org/~flora/Catalyst-Plugin-Authentication-0.10016/lib/Catalyst/Plugin/Authentication.pm

And for Credential verification:

http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Catalyst%3A%3AAuthentication%3A%3ACredential%3A%3AOpenID

Here are some docs on Auth/Auth:

http://search.cpan.org/perldoc?Catalyst::Manual::Tutorial::05_Authentication

Catalyst Tutorial on Authentication: http://www.catalystframework.org/calendar/2008/19

This module might also be useful:

Catalyst::Extension::SimpleLogin