Factotum (software)

{{About|the software|other uses|Factotum (disambiguation)}}

Image:Auth-fgui.png

Factotum is a password management and authentication protocol negotiation virtual file system for Plan 9 from Bell Labs. When a program wants to authenticate to a service, it requests a key from Factotum. If Factotum does not have the key, it requests it from the users either via the terminal window or auth/fgui which is then stored in volatile memory. Factotum then authenticates to the service on

behalf of the program. For long term storage, keys are usually stored in secstore or in an encrypted file.{{cite book | last=Edwards | first=John | date=2004 | url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Telecosmos/lapDcMJQehAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22factotum%22+%22plan+9%22&pg=PA168 | title=Telecosmos: The Next Great Telecom Revolution | publisher=Wiley | pages=167–171 | isbn=9780471690689 | via=Google Books}}{{cite journal | last=Fisher | first=Dennis | date=August 12, 2002 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A90326436/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=efba2ff8 | title=Bell Labs Takes Stab at True Single Sign-On | work=eWeek | publisher=Ziff-Davis | via=Gale}}

Factotum was introduced in August 2002, at that year's USENIX in Berkeley, California.{{cite journal | last=Costello | first=Sam | date=August 8, 2002 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A90639868/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=d06327fa | title=Bell Labs shows off new password, sign-on tools | work=InfoWorld | publisher= IDG Communications | via=Gale}}{{cite journal | last=Rapoza | first=Jim | date=August 12, 2002 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A90326444/GPS?u=wikipedia&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=b90546cc | title=Factotum Bridges Access Gaps | work=eWeek | publisher=Ziff-Davis | via=Gale}}