New Login Process: Wikis

The login process for MIT Wikis will change on August 1, 2009. Authentication for all users (including MIT-community members with personal certificates) will now be managed solely by MIT Touchstone. This means that Wiki users will see a different set of login screens when accessing these systems.

MIT Touchstone provides a single-sign-on point of entry for users of MIT services obviating the need for separate local accounts across systems and standardizing basic account management procedures for guest users, like resetting forgotten passwords and making name changes.

  • MIT Touchstone is:
    1. A centralized authentication and login service for MIT-community users
    2. A centralized authentication and account/profile management service for users outside of the MIT community
  • Touchstone Accounts are:
    • Free
    • Self-service
    • Web-based
    • Based on open standards including SAML and Shibboleth
    • Shibboleth Single Sign-On enabled

How this change will affect you:

You are a MIT user if you:

  • have a MIT Kerberos account
  • have a @mit.edu email address
  • have a MIT personal certificate

All other users are Guest users

Users with a Kerberos account or personal certificate do not need to create a Collaboration Account to use the Wikis. Touchstone supports both Kerberos and certificates.

New Wiki users

To access a wiki space, you must be a member of the wiki space group. Your Space Administrator may grant you permissions to the space.

In addition, non-MIT users MUST activate their Collaboration Account in order to access their Wiki sites.  Users can create a Collaboration Account first and then provide their email address to the Space Admin.

At this time, using OpenID to login is not recognized by most MIT applications. However, if you wish, you may associate your OpenID account with your Collaboration Account. To do this you must create a Collaboration Account first, then update your user profile to associate your OpenID account to your Collaboration Account. Once the association is complete, you can use your OpenID account to login. Please note that MIT Touchstone does not yet support OpenID 2.0.

New Login Steps - All Users

From the Wiki Dashboard or your specific Wiki page, click the Log In button in the upper right-hand corner.

If you have cookies enabled, you are directed to the Please choose your account provider page:

  1. If you are an MIT user, select MIT Kerberos account (or MIT web certificate)
    • The Touchstone@MIT page is displayed.
    • Choose your preferred login method and click the appropriate button.
    • You are redirected back to the Wikis.
  2. If you are a non-MIT user, select Touchstone Collaboration Account.  The red Touchstone Collaboration Accounts login page is displayed.
    • If you already have a Touchstone Collaboration Account, enter your user name and password. Complete the login.
    • You are redirected back to the Wikis.
  3. If you do not have a Touchstone Collaboration Account, select Touchstone Collaboration Account.  The red Touchstone Collaboration Accounts login page is displayed.  Click Not Registered?
    • Complete the form fields. Note: If you're a returning user and have not accessed Wikis since before Jan 2009, please use the same email address to establish your updated account (to ensure your access to previous Wikis)
    • Complete the word verification.
    • Check the Terms of Service box and click "Create Account".
    • Check your email inbox (and spam filter) for a Collaboration Account activation email from touchstone-support@MIT.EDU containing an activation code and link. Then click on the link, follow the instructions to activate your account.
    • Go to Step 1 above to access the WIkis with your new account information.

Additional Information about MIT Touchstone Accounts

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