Manage Users

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

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 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 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"):

1. 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.
2. Remove the FredQuimby - fred line from the Main.TWikiUsers topic
3. 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.
4. [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..

Related Topics: AdminDocumentationCategory