Smart Cards

Linux Login Using RSA Smart Cards

The two third year students  Martin Sägesser and Mario Strasser of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur (Switzerland) have written a PAM module that allows a secure login into a Linux system, using a PC/SC smart card reader and a crypto smart card implementing the RSA public key authentication algorithm.

The following HTML-based HOWTO gives the details on the installation and configuration of the Linux smart card login package

• Smart Card Login HOWTO (HTML-Version)

• Smart Card Login HOWTO (PDF-Version)

Text and PDF versions of this installation guide are included in the distribution.

If you have questions or suggestions for improval of the Linux smart card login package, please send an e-mail to

• mast@gmx.net , m.sagi@bluemail.ch , or andreas.steffen@strongsec.com

Here are the links to the M.U.S.C.L.E Project and its mailing list:

• M.U.S.C.L.E. - Movement for the Use of Smart Cards in a Linux Environment

• M.U.S.C.L.E. - Mailing List Archive