authinfo

November 9, 2024 | permanent

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Introduction to Authinfo in Emacs #

ref Emacs allows you to store authentication details for various services using the auth-source library. This avoids the hassle of entering your username and password repeatedly.

Default Files and Syntax #

Emacs looks for authentication details in these files:

`~/.authinfo`
`~/.authinfo.gpg` (GPG)
`~/.netrc`

The syntax for these files is similar to `netrc` files used by the FTP program. Here’s a basic example:

#+end_src machine mymachine login myloginname password mypassword port myport #+begin_src

Multiple Storage Backends #

The auth-source library supports different storage backends:

Classic netrc backend
JSON files
Secret Service API
pass (standard Unix password manager)

You can customize which backends to use via the `auth-sources` user option.

Saving Passwords #

When you enter a password interactively and it’s not found in your configured backends, some backends can save it for future use. This behavior is controlled by the `auth-source-save-behavior` user option.

For detailed information, refer to the official Emacs documentation on Authentication. #+end_src

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