www.nico.schottelius.org/blog/archlinux-single-authentication-database.mdwn

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[[!meta title="Archlinux: One way to create one account for all systems"]]
## Introduction
If you use archlinux and use more than one of the web tools, you'll have
multiple accounts, because each tool has its own authentication database.
## Motivation
Having Single-Sign-On (SSO) or at least one account for all systems
would simplify life with the webtools.
## Quick overview
As of today, I see at least four systems being used:
* [bugs/flyspray](https://bugs.archlinux.org/)
* [wiki/mediawiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/)
* [aur/aur](https://aur.archlinux.org/)
* [forum/fluxbb](https://bbs.archlinux.org/)
* [mailinglist/mailman](http://mailman.archlinux.org/mailman/listinfo/)
## Quick analysis
In the bugtracker you can see a
[bug](http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/10703) in which using
openid is described. [OpenID](http://openid.net/) may be an
interesting option, though I see another one that could
be doable.
## Database support
All applications with the exception of mailman, are database based.
Fluxbb support at least MySQL and PostgreSQL, Mediawiki
support MySQL and PostgreSQL, Flyspray supports
MySQL and PostgreSQL and aur seems to use MySQL
(seen in ***support/schema/aur-schema.sql***).
Mailman has no database support, but from my point of view,
it makes sense to leave mailman seperated, as mailman's
primary key is an email address, which may be different
for each mailinglist anyway (I'm using a different e-mail address
for every person / mailinglist).
## One database, multiple schemas
All these tools have their own schemas and are not written to
support each other. But there's a very elegant way supported
by PostgreSQL to access different "views" in a read-write
manner: schemas.
PostgreSQL normally has one default schema, named "public".
With PostgreSQL one could create a new database that contains
all the authentication information and map it into the
schemas of the other databases.
## This is a proposal
I'm not good in politics, nor interested in arguing or fighting
for a solution. Instead, I'm giving this proposal, which I'm
willing to help and/or coordinate with Archlinux Sysadmins.
## One way to do it
Coming back to the original idea, here's one way to do it:
### Test the proposal
* Create a new userdb
* Analyse schemas of applications
* Create mappings from application schemas to userdb
* Verify that applications work
### Prepare the migration
* Try to import data from current live sources
* Fix any collisions
* Define what a fix is: Delete or merge or rename or whatever
* Ensure that AUR also supports postgresql
### Test the migration
* Import data from live systems into the new databases
* Setup tools on test system to use new database
* Verify everything works
### Do the migration
* Announce migration date
* Freeze database
* Import data
* Change applications to use the databases
* Test each application
* Allow access from outside again
* Announce migration finish
## Comments?
I'm reachable as telmich in #archlinux or [[the usual way|about]].
[[!tag unix]]