8.6.1.1. Using an authentication server
Fedora can authenticate against an authentication server instead of (or in addition to) the local user and password database ( /etc/passwd , /etc/shadow , /etc/group , and /etc/gshadow ). Usable authentication and user information services include Kerberos, LDAP, Hesiod (DNS), Winbind (local Windows domain), and SMB (Windows domain server).
To use an established authentication server, select the desktop menu option System->Administration->Authentication or run the command system-config-authentication. The window shown in Figure 8-9 will appear. Select the User Information or Authentication tab, and then select the checkbox for the server type you wish to use. Click the Configure button to the right of the server type to enter the parameters specifically required by that server type (for example, for NIS you will need to enter the NIS domain and the server name).
Click OK. system-config-authentication will then write a new version of the file /etc/pam.d/system-auth .
Figure 8-9. Authentication Configuration window
Using the Authentication Configuration tool will undo any customization that you have made in /etc/pam.d/system-auth.
Authentication can also be configured from the command line using authconfig .