Getting the User/Pass.

[Paolo]

Is it possible (via plugin or other way) to get the username and password the user used to log on the computer (MacOS) or the microsoft-network (Windows) ?

Users have to type their password twice: when they access the network (or when their log on their mac) and when they access fm network solutions. They don't like it..

[SteveB]

I don't know about Macs, but on Windows, WinBatch could probably do it if you know where the user name is stored. See www.wilsonware.com.

[Kurt Knippel]

But that is kinda the whole point of security.

By the same token, is there a way that my car keys can be used to access my ATM card? I hate having to remember and use both.

Seems pretty silly doesn't it.

[HazMatt]

If your users assign secure passwords on their computers and those computers are either off or "locked down" when they're not there, it may well be unnecessary to require a second password entry in FileMaker. Create a database that stores that user's FileMaker password and use the Try Default Password in the document preferences tab. Then automatically open a script off the server file.

By the way, if your users have identical passwords for their computer AND FileMaker, that could be a security risk in itself.

[Kurt Knippel]

Actually if you are gonna go to the point of automatically entering a userID/password, then why secure the Filemaker system in the first place? Just open it up, if the computer login is enough of a security system.

[Paolo]

But that is kinda the whole point of security.

By the same token, is there a way that my car keys can be used to access my ATM card? I hate having to remember and use both.

Seems pretty silly doesn't it.

It depends on how you see things: I don't understand why I have one key to open the door of the car and one key to turn on the engine.

Altrought informatic systems are made of several sub-systems variously interconnected they should appear to the user as a single things.

Actually if you are gonna go to the point of automatically entering a userID/password, then why secure the Filemaker system in the first place? Just open it up, if the computer login is enough of a security system.

Very good!

I dont want to secure the filemaker system BUT I need filemaker to know who the user is!!

[TSilvan]

If you just want to capture the user name, then why not have your start-up script display a custom dialog requesting the user name (and a password if you want to discourage folks from masquerading as each other) then capture the user name they enter to a global field, chack that it is an acceptable one (and that the password, if used matches) and only let them proceed after this step is complete.

Then you'll have a username field that should always tell you who logged in, regardless of which machine they're working on.

[Paolo]

why not have your start-up script display a custom dialog requesting the user name

I was trying to avoid the user having to type his username and pass multiple times.

If her can log on the computer then she is authenticated. There is no need to ask her again who she is.

Actually our users have to type password when

1. they turn on the computer (for legal reasons regarding privacy)

2. they access the legacy system on AS400

3. they access the intranet

4. they access fm solutions

Some of them may think they're working for NATO!

[DykstrL]

If everyone on your network have to authenticate with a logon and password and you are satisfied that it is enough to allow access to your database, then why even require a password to access the database? Leave it wide open and hope for the best. If these are even moderately used files, and you decide to let it all hang out, I just hope you at least do a lot of backups.

I think you are missing one of the prime reasons developers require passwords to access FileMaker files - especially server files - is security of the data. You do not want just any users, who may or may not know much about FileMaker or even database systems, to be able to just go in and start changing records or even deleting records - or the worst case scenario - deleting ALL records in the database!

The passwords used in a FileMaker file should be used to provide access to abilities to change/create/delete/export/import data according to what they should be allowed to do.

Nobody likes it, but those are the facts of life today. I have so many logons and passwords to remember - which I can't - so I have an encrypted (FileMaker) file to store all of them so I can reference them if needed.

[Anatoli]

See the FM server help for integration with windows

[Vaughan]

What about the Status(CurrentUserName) function? This will return the username entered into FMP's preferences.

If the computer is set up correctly, each of the machine's users can be setup with their own preferences and usernames.

[Paolo]

What about the Status(CurrentUserName) function? This will return the username entered into FMP's preferences.

This is a good solution (and I've been using it) but I'm in trouble when more people use the same computer.

[Anatoli]

With Dialog Magic from New Millennium you can change the User Name in Preferences after user login via login.fp5 database to proper user name.

Did you manage to integrate the login with Windows?