Authorizing Remote Users in TTY Mode

FileLink provides script commands to authorize remote users by way of a user name and an optional password. Up to two additional pieces of information about each user is also available within the FileLink script environment.

Authorization is provided using the AUTHUSER, AUTHPW, and AUTHDATA script commands. A specially prepared text file, called an authorization file, contains all information necessary to support these three script commands. For more information on how to create an authorization file, see Authorization File Format.

Authorization would be used when FileLink is acting as a host for remote users in an asynchronous modem protocol file transfer environment. For example, a script file would be prompting the remote user (using the LINEOUT command) for a user name (receiving the response with the LINEIN command), and verifying the response with the AUTHUSER command.

The same sequence could be repeated for a password but the AUTHPW command would be used to match the password with a specific user name.

The AUTHDATA command could be used to obtain information specific to a user such as the user's home directory, a dial back telephone number, a greeting, or any other string data that might be necessary to support a remote user. The authorization file provides for two separate pieces of information.

This method is not a particularly secure way to perform user authorization since the user names and passwords are saved in clear text in a simple text file -- if a more secure method is required then running an external user-written program by way of the EXEC script command is recommended.

See the sample script in Dial-In Connection With Authorization.