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NT login - triggered by Java App

 
Greenhorn
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I assume the answer to my question is a bit to complicated to give here, but perhaps someone can point me towards a book or webpage that covers it.
Here is what I would like to do: I�d like to have the user to enter the login and password and receive an answer indicating if they are a valid user. The username and password would be validated by the NT machine they�re on, or by some server on the domain.
I don�t really want or need to know what the login and password is (this isn�t for hacking in any way). Just to passing the values to a class and receiving a boolean back would be fine. Or, easier still � just to trigger a class that will handle it all, including username / password entry plus validation, again giving an indication if a valid user or not.
Is this possible? And if so, can someone point me in the right direction for information on how to do it?
Thanks
 
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if they're logged onto the machine, surely you know that they have a valid username & password. Why do you want to check again ?
D.
 
Tom Flanagan
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Here�s the deal, we have a requirement at our work place that states that if someone is away from their machine for longer than 30 min � the screen saver comes on. This windows screen saver requires them to log back in to get back to the desktop.
Problem is � some people might be away from their desk � perhaps lunch � for an extended period. If they left some bit of software locking a record and causing problems to other users, there is no way to get back to their desktop at all (other than knowing their password / login).
If you put another user name and password in there, you can get to A desktop, but not theirs, and all the software running on their machine is rather rudely shut down in the process � causing problems with half entered records or corrupted files.
If I could have a Java screen saver running and a supervisor group set up on the NT domain that would allow certain people to login (via Java) and return to the original desktop, they could then gracefully close down the software that was left open, or release locks � etc.
 
Don Kiddick
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So you are saying that you plan to disable the windows screen saver/locking mechanism and implement your own in Java ? Wont it rather easy to circumvent the locking using ctr-alt-del or am I missing something ?
An alternative solution would be to start a timer whenever a user indefinitely locks a resource and roll back any changes after n-seconds.
D.
 
Tom Flanagan
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Except the applications that would need to be rolled back aren't written in Java. So I don't have any control over them.
 
Don Kiddick
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Ok. I'm still worried that the "locking" your Java screen saver will do of the desktop will be rather easily cirumvented.
If you want to do username authentification you'll need to do a JNI call. Not an area of experise for me but I'm sure the code is on the internet somewhere.
Throwing another idea out....administrators can unlock locked workstations without rebooting them, right ? Is it possible to have an admistrator account that can unlock workstations and not much else ? A select group of people could then use this account to unlock locked workstations.
D.
 
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Yes, an admin can unlock a workstation, however, the problem is that if an admin unlocks (by using his admin user/pass), a new desktop is loaded. Any previous work by the orignal user will be lost.
 
Tom Flanagan
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Exactly.
Looking into JAAS...
 
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So - you want a screensaver to with password, but it needn't be the Windows-NT password.
And you wan't a supervisor-password, which will unlock every screensaver.
Why don't you implement a own password-system, perhaps md5sum-decoded in your database and a supervisor password.
You only have to advice the users, to use a DIFFERENT password.
 
Don't get me started about those stupid light bulbs.
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