FAUS

FAUS is a Perl CGI software that offers a user-friendly interface for managing user accounts. Although Samba provides SWAT for administration, it only adds users to the Samba system and not the Unix user database. Moreover, the SWAT interface requires users to enter the root password to gain access to its features, posing a security risk without encryption.

FAUS, on the other hand, does not require root privileges for user database management. Instead, it uses the SUDO program to grant the correct user rights to perform tasks without compromising system security. FAUS utilizes Perl scripts to execute shell commands such as "useradd", "userdel", and "smbpasswd". These scripts validate the user input and ensure that only necessary options are enabled. For added security, FAUS only supports adding users with invalid shells.

To use FAUS, a sudoers file is required, which grants root privileges to users running the scripts. This software ships with the Perl CGI, Perl scripts, and a sample sudoers file for reference. FAUS features support for both UNIX and Samba systems in one command, secure authentication options, multilingual support, and a robust logging system that records all operations.

FAUS is compatible with Apache as a web server, which provides necessary encryption and authentication features. However, Sudo is required to run FAUS, which allows users to have root privileges without using the "su" command. Users must provide access to the smbpasswd and passwd files, which makes Samba necessary for FAUS on the same machine.

The latest version of FAUS supports Samba 3.x with the tbdsam backend and enables users to change usernames. Notably, Samba 2.x is no longer supported.

In summary, FAUS is a secure and user-friendly software for managing user accounts through a web interface. Its unique features and compatibility with Apache make it an ideal choice for UNIX and Samba systems.