BlackLabAuth is intended to be a drop-in replacement for the WiFiDog Auth Server. It is intended to use the existing WiFiDog client (as it exists on Pyramid Linux), for use in a controlled (non-open AP) environment.
Its main features are:
- Uses existing, unmodified WiFiDog client (on the AP).
- Uses MySQL as a database.
- All users must be registered (in LDAP).
- Auth directly from LDAP.
- Enables easy management of multiple (or many) APs.
- Support for user-written drop-in auth and logging functions.
- APs automatically register with server on boot (depends on DNS, DHCP, or manual config)
- APs pull updated WiFiDog config files automatically
WiFiDog is a good captive portal implementation, and it also ships stock on Pyramid Linux. However, I needed something with one main difference - it wasn't intended to be an open network, but rather add security to a WEP-enabled network (hardware age issues prevented use of anything better than WPA). The mean features that I desired were in-depth usage accounting, the ability to handle administration of multiple APs, and authentication directly from LDAP, without having to put RADIUS in between.
My initial use was for two APs at a non-profit organization. They had everything running on a single Linux box, including an internal web server (Apache 2), LDAP (OpenLDAP), and MySQL 5. Therefore, I wanted to be able to run a captive portal server without having to install a new machine, and preferrably with as little new software installation as possible. Being the human that belongs to a wonderful five-year-old black lab, the name was an easy choice.
Not much is online yet, but you can take a peek at the code (under VERY active development) through CVS/ViewVC.
Please also feel free to check out the SourceForge Project Page.