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 information. 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
option -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 information, and one for SecureNet user information. A user need not be
installed 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 repre-
sented as the directory mntpt/user.
Making a new directory in mntpt creates a new user entry in the database. 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
renaming 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. Writing 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 disables 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. Writing ok enables the account; writing disabled disables it.
expire The expiration time for the account. When read, it contains either 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 expiration 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; warning'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)