# Best Ruby on Rails authentication plugin

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [June 29, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113 "2007-06-29T03:16:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gabordemeter)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113/1 "2007-06-29T03:16:11Z")

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We’re currently in the process of deciding if we will build our custom  
RoR login / registration / user management system or use an existing  
plugin.

One solution we tend to find interesting is ninja ([http://okoru.org/](http://okoru.org/)  
rails/ninja\_authentication.zip) as it seems to be quite lightweight  
and thus easy to modify if need be.

I was wondering what experiences did other members have with ninja /  
other plugins and which RoR plugin do you see as best for  
authentication / user management.

Best,

Gabor

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**Author:** ![gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gabordemeter)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 5:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113/2 "2007-06-29T05:03:22Z")

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We only looked at one plugin called “Authorization Plugin”. We  
decided that it was good enough for now and sufficiently easy enough  
to setup so that we wouldn’t feel bad ripping it out later. It’s a  
simple role based security model where users are assigned one or more  
roles. You then add code at the top of a controller you want secured  
specifying the role or roles that have access to it. I was hoping to  
find something that had:

a. Another level for users, like roles and permissions, instead of  
just roles  
b. Security specified in the database rather than hardcoded

but this will work for our app for now until we start hating life.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gabordemeter)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113/3 "2007-06-29T17:11:43Z")

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Take a look at either one of Ricks Olsen’s authentication plugins:  
Acts\_as\_authenticated ([http://tinyurl.com/srdoc](http://tinyurl.com/srdoc)) or RESTful  
authentication ([http://tinyurl.com/ythqmb](http://tinyurl.com/ythqmb))

They’re both easy to setup and very flexible when it comes to adding  
functionality.

Tony

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gabordemeter)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2007, 11:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113/4 "2007-06-30T11:13:10Z")

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Another recommendation here for RESTfully Authenticated which is built  
off Acts\_As\_Authenticated

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@gabordemeter](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/gabordemeter)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/best-ruby-on-rails-authentication-plugin/108113/5 "2007-06-29T17:20:32Z")

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keith wrote:  
I was hoping to

> find something that had:
> 
> a. Another level for users, like roles and permissions, instead of  
> just roles

take a look at acl\_system, which will build on to your login plugin