Self-Service Password Management Solution for Linux OS

Every time users forget their passwords, productivity is affected because it takes the help desk team time to verify identities and reset passwords. According to a 2018 report from Forrester Research, organizations allocate over $1 million every year to resolving password-related help desk calls. To cut down on this expense and improve employee productivity, organizations can deploy a self-service password management solution that allows users to reset passwords without IT assistance, such as ADSelfService Plus. This solution provides the self-service password reset option in the place users realize they've forgotten their passwords: the login screen.

ADSelfService Plus offers login agent support for three major computer operating systems: Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Allow users to reset their Active Directory domain password from the Linux login screen

ADSelfService Plus’ login agent includes a Reset Password/Account Unlock link on the login screen of Linux machines. Clicking this link will open a password reset wizard through which end users can quickly and securely reset their Windows Active Directory (AD) passwords. If users have enterprise accounts like Office 365 and G suite linked with their AD credentials, ADSelfService Plus has an option that syncs AD passwords across all apps in real time.

Password self-service for Linux—how does it work?

When Linux users forget their passwords, instead of calling the help desk to reset their passwords, they can use the Linux login agent to reset their passwords themselves.

• Click the Reset Password/Unlock Account link displayed in the login screen.

  

• In the self-service portal that opens, click the Reset Password/Unlock Account link.
• Once the user's identity is verified via the enforced authentication techniques, they'll be allowed to reset their password.

How to enable the Linux login agent

1. Download and install ADSelfService Plus.
2. Copy the installLinuxAgent.sh, webkit2_greeter_theme.html and webkit.py files from this folder: Install Directory>\bin (Default location: C:\Program Files\ManageEngine\ADSelfService Plus\bin).
3. Paste the copied files in the Home folder of the Linux machine.
4. Launch the Linux terminal and execute the following commands:
   sed -i 's/\r$//' installLinuxAgent.sh
   sudo bash installLinuxAgent.sh -install -serverName myserver -portNumber myport -protocol myprotocol
   where,
   • serverName = The name of the machine in which ADSelfService Plus is deployed.
   • portNumber = The port number on which ADSelfService Plus is running.
   • protocol = The protocol on which the ADSelfService Plus is running.
5. Client software parameters (optional)
   • title = ""(Enter an appropriate title text)
   • linkText = ""(Enter an appropriate link text)
   • contextPath = ""(Enter the command "sudo bash installLinuxAgent.sh -contextPath ssp" where 'ssp' is your context path)
6. Reboot the system.

Click here for complete customization and reinstallation details.

Highlights of the Linux login agent

• Policy-based access control. Controls which users can self-reset their login passwords by configuring policies based on domain, group, and OU membership.
• Improved security. Secures every password reset with any or all of the thirteen powerful authentication techniques available in ADSelfService Plus.
• Reduced expenses. Reduces the workload on the IT team, and consequently, the expense due to the password reset tickets.
• Ease of access. Allows users to reset passwords and unlock accounts in AD from their own device without having to use a colleague's device to access the web portal.

Some other benefits of ADSelfService Plus - Self Service Reset Password Management