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RE: Re: TSVN & Apache & SSPI & SSL problems

From: Gillis, Paul <pgillis_at_insight-tek.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:50:54 -0400

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Stefan Küng [mailto:tortoisesvn_at_gmail.com]
>Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 1:25 PM
>To: users_at_tortoisesvn.tigris.org
>Subject: Re: TSVN & Apache & SSPI & SSL problems
>
>Gillis, Paul wrote:
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Stefan Küng
>>> [mailto:tortoisesvn_at_gmail.com] Sent: Friday, October 17, 2008 11:32
>>> AM To: users_at_tortoisesvn.tigris.org Subject: Re: TSVN & Apache &
>>> SSPI & SSL problems
>>>
>>> Gillis, Paul wrote:
>>>> Hi Stefan,
>>>>
>>>> Yes, my client is using the very latest versions of Subversion
>>>> 1.5.3 and TSVN 1.5.4. I did not build it. I downloaded the
>>>> binaries from tigris.org. The server is running 1.5.2. But I
>>>> would not expect that to account for my TSVN issue since my svn
>>>> 1.5.3 client can authenticate to the 1.5.2 server.
>>>>
>>>> Yes, I am trying this from the very same machine, my desktop
>>>> computer.
>>>>
>>>> The $ at the end of my SVNParentPath directive is the
>>>> nomenclature to denote a hidden Windows file share. I should
>>>> note that I was able to open my repositories with TSVN perfectly
>>>> fine prior to adding the directives to authenticate using the
>>>> PDC. But we don't want to run anonymously.
>>>>
>>>> I am certain my computer is a member of our domain. It's required
>>>> here.
>>>>
>>>> I was not expecting that I would have to enter my domain/username
>>>> to authenticate with SSPIOmitDomain on. But it failed when I
>>>> entered just my username so I gave it a try with domain and
>>>> username and it worked. This is from my svn console window so it
>>>> leads me to believe my problem is TSVN:
>>>>
>>>>> svn info http://vc-1/svn/myrepo
>>>> Authentication realm: <http://vc-1:80> Subversion repositories
>>>> Password for 'gillis_p': ******** Authentication realm:
>>>> <http://vc-1:80> Subversion repositories Username:
>>>> mydomain\gillis_p Password for ' mydomain\gillis_p': ********
>>>> Path: myrepo URL: http://vc-1/svn/myrepo Repository Root:
>>>> http://vc-1/svn/myrepo Repository UUID:
>>>> be8097fc-3112-874e-b525-a36b8ade6167 Revision: 300 Node Kind:
>>>> directory Last Changed Rev: 300 Last Changed Date: 2008-10-16
>>>> 16:04:16 -0400 (Thu, 16 Oct 2008)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Do you have any other suggestions? I'm stumped!
>>> I see the problem now: The command line client doesn't compile SSPI
>>> support, it relies on the fallback to basic authentication for SSPI
>>> authentication. TSVN however supports SSPI authentication (i.e.,
>>> you don't even have to enter username/password - the authentication
>>> is done by the OS and your domain). But SSPI only works for https
>>> connections, not http connections.
>>
>> Would you mind clarifying this so I understand better? Perhaps there
>> are others who share my confusion and would benefit from an
>> explanation.
>
>There's a difference between SSPI and domain authentication. While both
>are done with the mod_auth_sspi module, they're not the same.
>
>Domain authentication simply uses the username/password of your domain
>controller to authenticate users, but the authentication is done with
>'basic auth', which means you're asked for your username and password.
>
>SSPI authentication however uses your logon credentials. Since you're
>already logged on to your domain, SSPI can authenticate you
>automatically so you don't have to enter your username/password. Your
>workstation and the domain controller do this for you.
>But since such automatic authentication would be a security risk if done
>over a non-secure channel, this is only enabled for https connections.
>
>Now, usually if SSPI doesn't work, mod_auth_sspi falls back to basic
>authentication, which means you're asked for username/password (but
>still those from your windows logon). From your description I got that
>this didn't work.
>
>> The ONLY reason I enabled sspi is to be authenticate users with the
>> domain controller so I don't have to maintain a password file. I
>> don't care if the svn communication is encrypted. Section 3.1.7 in
>> the TSVN manual tells me that sspi is the way to do this hence I
>> cannot disable sspi authentication.
>
>You can disable sspi authentication, just enable the 'basic'
>authentication of the mod_auth_sspi module.

I was mistakenly under the impression that I had to enable SSPI to use Windows domain authentication. It's just the way I read it in the manual. So if I understand correctly, mod_auth_sspi with AuthType SSPI would have tried to authenticate me without prompting for username and password again and with AuthType Basic it will instead always prompt me for a username and password. Is that right? What I want to avoid are anonymous commits by anybody. That's why I was tying to force SSPI.

>
>> I now realize that https from the Subversion client also gives me a
>> certificate error: "The certificate is not issued by a trusted
>> authority. Use the fingerprint to validate the certificate manually!"
>> I generated the certificate following the instructions in 3.1.7 of
>> the manual. Are they incorrect or incomplete? What do I have to do
>> to generate a trustworthy certificate that subversion and TSVN will
>> accept?
>
>You would have to buy a certificate from a trusted company, a so called
>"certificate authority":
>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931125

It looks like I can choose to accept the untrusted certificate permanently and not be bothered by this. Or, if I disable SSPI, I should not see it at all.

>
>> Also... I found this strange... I can use TSVN to open my repository
>> with http (versus https). But if I click on a folder to checkout,
>> the OK button in the checkout dialog is not available. I've never
>> seen this before and I assumed it was because I was not authenticated
>> and my SSPIAuthoritative directive required it. Am I mistaken?
>
>This was reported before, but unfortunately I can't reproduce it.
>There's an easy workaround: just edit the 'checkout path' box (e.g.,
>delete the last char, then add it again). This will trigger the dialog
>verification and the the OK button will get enabled again.

Thank you. That worked!

>
>But if this is the case, then your authentication with the domain
>controller already works (basic authentication, not SSPI since you're
>asked for username/password).
>
>Stefan
>
>--
> ___
> oo // \\ "De Chelonian Mobile"
> (_,\/ \_/ \ TortoiseSVN
> \ \_/_\_/> The coolest Interface to (Sub)Version Control
> /_/ \_\ http://tortoisesvn.net

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Received on 2008-10-17 19:51:05 CEST

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