Difference: ManagingUsers (6 vs. 7)

Revision 72006-09-14 - TWikiContributor

  Manage Users 

Register users on your TWiki site; change/reset/install passwords; remove user accounts

On this page: 
  Authentication and Access Control
   List Users
   Register Users
   Query and Edit User Account Data (Passwords, E-mails)
   Changing User Account Names
   Removing User Accounts
   Customizing registration Emails.
 


 Some of the features below may be disabled, depending on your TWiki
configuration.

 Authentication and Access Control 
 

 TWikiUserAuthentication describes your options for user authentication
  TWikiAccessControl describes how to define groups and how to restrict     access to content
 

 Register User 

You don't have to have user home pages in TWiki for Authentication to
work - see TWikiUserAuthentication for details.
 

 TWikiRegistration is used when you want new users to individually     register with TWiki by filling out a form
  You can create a custom versions of NewUserTemplate and     UserForm
  BulkRegistration is used by administrators to register multiple users at     the same time
 

 Change, Reset and Install Passwords 

Note that the below features are only relevant when you use an internal password manager where TWiki can set and reset passwords.
 

 ChangePassword is for users who can remember their password and want to     change it
  ResetPassword is for users who cannot remember their password; a system     generated password is e-mailed to them
  BulkResetPassword if for administrators who want to reset many passwords     at once
  ChangeEmailAddress changes the hidden email address stored in the password     file
 

 Changing User Account Names 

To change the user's WikiName: 

 Rename the user's TWiki homepage in the Main web, such as     from JaneSmith to JaneMiller. 
 Fix backlinks in the Main web only
  Make sure the group topics are updated (if any.)
 
  Edit the Main.TWikiUsers topic and move the user's entry so     that the list is in proper alphabetical order.
  Recreate the old topic with a pointer to the new topic, so that links     in other webs work properly. Example content:
      %M% Jane Smith is now known as JaneMiller
 

If external authentication is used and you want to change the login name: 

 The login name needs to be changed in the authentication server (e.g.     Active Directory)
  In TWiki's Main.TWikiUsers topic, fix the mapping from     login name to WikiName:
         * JaneSmith - jsmith - 13 Sep 2006 
      to: 
         * JaneMiller - jmiller - 13 Sep 2006
 

 Removing User Accounts 

To remove a user account (FredQuimby, who logs in as "fred"):
 

 If you are using a .htpasswd file, edit the .htpasswd file to     delete the line starting fred: 
 Warning: Do not use the Apache htpasswd program with        .htpasswd files generated by TWiki! htpasswd wipes out email        addresses that TWiki plants in the info fields of this file.
 
  Remove the FredQuimby - fred line from the Main.TWikiUsers     topic
  Remove FredQuimby from all groups and from all the      ALLOWWEB/ALLOWTOPIC... declarations, if any.
  Note: If you      fail to do this you risk creating a security hole, as the next user to      register with the wikiname FredQuimby will inherit the old      FredQuimby's permissions.
  [optional] Delete their user topic Main.FredQuimby     (including attachments, if any.)
-<
<
+Note: Consider leaving the user topic file in place so their past signatures and revision author entries don't end up looking like AnUncreatedTopic. If you want to make it clear the user is no longer around, replace the topic content with a note to that effect. The existance of the UserName topic should also prevent that user name from being re-used, sealing the potential security hole regarding inherited permissions..
->
>
+Note: Consider leaving the user topic file in place so their past signatures and revision author entries don't end up looking like AnUncreatedTopic.
->
>
+If you want to make it clear the user is no longer around, replace the topic content with a note to that effect.
The existence of the UserName topic should also prevent that user name from being re-used, sealing the potential security hole regarding inherited permissions..

 Customizing registration Emails. 
TWiki's Registration can send 3 emails who's output is governed by templates: 
 User registration confirmation - templates/registerconfirm.tmpl
  User registration notification - templates/registernotify.tmpl
  Email to notify the TWiki admin of registration - templates/registernotifyadmin.tmpl
 

As these are TWikiTemplates, they can be customized and selected using the SKIN path setting.
Because there are default tmpl files in the templates dir, this cannot use Template topics.

These template files have a specific format that matches the raw format of emails sent via SMTP,
so be careful and test your changes. It is easiest to start by copying the default templates:

cd twiki/templates
cp registernotify.tmpl registernotify.myskin.tmpl
cp registerconfirm.tmpl registerconfirm.myskin.tmpl
cp registernotifyadmin.tmpl registernotifyadmin.myskin.tmpl

then add myskin to the beginning of the SKIN setting in TWikiPreferences.

From this point on, your myskin templates will be used for the registration emails.

To make it possible for TWikiUsers to modify the email contents, you could use a parameterized %INCLUDE%
statement in your customized version. eg:

From: %WIKIWEBMASTERNAME% <%WIKIWEBMASTER%>
To: %FIRSTLASTNAME% <%EMAILADDRESS%>
Subject: %MAKETEXT{"[_1] - Registration for [_2] ([_3])" args="%WIKITOOLNAME%, %WIKINAME%, %EMAILADDRESS%"}%
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=%CHARSET%
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit

%INCLUDE{
    "Main.RegistrationNotification"
    WIKINAME="%WIKINAME%"
    FIRSTLASTNAME="%FIRSTLASTNAME%"
    EMAILADDRESS="%EMAILADDRESS%"
}%
 
 note the use of %WIKINAME%, %FIRSTLASTNAME%, %EMAILADDRESS% passed in from the INCLUDE so that the topic below is similar to the original template
 

and then create a topic Main.RegisterNotifyEmail:
Welcome to %WIKITOOLNAME%.

%MAKETEXT{"Your personal [_1] topic is located at [_2]. You can customize it as you like:" args="%WIKITOOLNAME%, %SCRIPTURL{"view"}%/%USERSWEB%/%WIKINAME%"}%

   * %MAKETEXT{"Some people turn it into a personal portal with favorite links, what they work on, what help they'd like, etc."}%
   * %MAKETEXT{"Some add schedule information and vacation notice."}%

Regards
%WIKIWEBMASTERNAME%
Your TWiki Admin


%MAKETEXT{"Note:"}%
   2 %MAKETEXT{"You can change your password at via [_1]" args="%SCRIPTURL{"view"}%/%SYSTEMWEB%/ChangePassword"}%
   3 %MAKETEXT{"If you haven't set a password yet or you want to reset it, go to: [_1]" args="%SCRIPTURL{"view"}%/%SYSTEMWEB%/ResetPassword"}%

%MAKETEXT{"Submitted content:"}%
%FORMDATA%

|*META PREFERENCE*|name="ALLOWTOPICCHANGE" title="ALLOWTOPICCHANGE" type="Set" value="Main.TWikiAdminGroup"|
 
 remember to secure the topic appropriately to prevent attackers from getting emailed sensitive passwords.
 Related Topics: AdminDocumentationCategory

View topic | History: r9 < r8 < r7 < r6 | More topic actions...

Copyright © 1999-2025 by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors.
Ideas, requests, problems regarding TWiki? Send feedback
Note: Please contribute updates to this topic on TWiki.org at TWiki:TWiki.ManagingUsers.