# Need Login/Authorization/User Management Advice

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-login-authorization-user-management-advice/59997>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [May 9, 2006, 10:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-login-authorization-user-management-advice/59997 "2006-05-09T10:32:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marstoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@marstoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marstoni)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 10:32am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-login-authorization-user-management-advice/59997/1 "2006-05-09T10:32:05Z")

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I’m new ot rails and am revamping one of my first rails projects and  
would like some advice on user authentication and management.

In my app I implemented the basic user login functionality as it is in  
the Agile Web Developement book. Though it works great I’d like a bit  
more functionality such as: user levels/roles (i.e level1, level2,  
level3, admin) type permission, password resetting, forgotten password  
emailing etc, nothing hardcore or anything.

I’ve heard much praise about the Acts\_As\_Authenticated plugin  
([http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/Acts\_as\_authenticated](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/Acts_as_authenticated)) but also  
the auth\_generator plugin ([http://penso.info/code/auth\_generator](http://penso.info/code/auth_generator)). I  
was wondering if anyone has had experience with both and could point out  
why one is better than the other for what you used it for.

At this point I’ve looked more at auth\_generator because it upfront  
looks like it has most of the features I want along with user  
administration built in. I still have yet to dig more into AAA and  
exactly what it does/how it works.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marstoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@marstoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marstoni)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-login-authorization-user-management-advice/59997/2 "2006-08-25T03:13:00Z")

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anup wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I have used auth\_generator for admin operations on my site anup.info.  
> Plz let me know any doubts.
> 
> Anup

Was going to use auth\_generator, went back to the site to get it, but  
found the site to be down. Anybody have any news on this, or suggestions  
to other auth gems?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![marstoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@marstoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/marstoni)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/need-login-authorization-user-management-advice/59997/3 "2006-05-09T14:07:21Z")

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Hi,

I have used auth\_generator for admin operations on my site anup.info.  
Plz let me know any doubts.

Anup