Chapter 2 Getting Started With Solaris Smart Cards (Tasks)

This chapter introduces the ocfserv server and describes how to start and use the SmartCard Console.

This is a list of topics in this chapter.

• "The ocfserv Server"

• "How to Start the SmartCard Console (CDE)"

• "How to Start the SmartCard Console (Command Line)"

• "Managing Smart Cards from the Command Line"

Subsequent chapters contain tasks for setting up and configuring smart card support. These chapters also contain overview information to supplement both command line and SmartCard Console tasks. If you need detailed information about the smart cards commands, refer to the smartcard(1M) and ocfserv(1M) man pages.

The ocfserv Server

The OpenCard Framework (OCF) server, ocfserv, is the process that manages smart card communications on your system.

You are prompted to restart ocfserv after you have used the SmartCard Console to add or remove a card reader.

If ocfserv is not running, start the SmartCard Console or use the smartcard command to start it.

Managing Smart Cards From the SmartCard Console

The following sections describe how to use the SmartCard Console.

Using the SmartCard Console

The SmartCard Console is the graphical user interface (GUI) used to manage the Solaris Smart Cards software. It has three panes for activating tasks and viewing information:

• Navigation pane - Lists the major categories of tasks involved in setting up smart cards. To choose a task, click the category in the Navigation pane. When you select a category in the Navigation pane, the Console pane is populated with icons related to the task.

• Information pane - Contains a brief description of the category or icon that you have just clicked. It also contains instructions for beginning the task associated with the category or icon.

• Console pane - Contains icons that you double-click to begin a task. For example, if you click Authentication from the Navigation pane, the Console pane displays icons that represent the types of authentication available for the OCF Server.

Dialog Boxes

Each task has one or more associated dialog boxes that appear when you double-click an icon on the Console pane. A dialog box contains information for you to view, modify, or delete, as needed. Some dialog boxes have two or more folder tabs that you access by clicking the tab.

Most dialog boxes have four buttons:

• OK - Click to confirm any changes made and close the dialog box.

• Apply - Click to confirm any changes made but to keep the dialog box open. Use Apply after entering information in a dialog box with other folder tabs that you need to click after the current folder tab.

• Cancel - Click to exit the dialog box without saving any changes.

• Help - Click to access online help for the dialog box.

Using the Online Help System

The help system included with the SmartCard Console contains the following components:

• Instructions for the major smart cards tasks for you to follow while using the Console. Choose Index from the Help Menu to view help on a topic.

• Descriptions of each dialog box in the Console, available by clicking the Help button at the bottom of the dialog box.

• Item help for the Console, automatically displayed in the Information pane.

The SmartCard Console help system does not contain conceptual information about smart cards. Instead, refer to this guide for descriptions of how smart cards work, details about authentication types, and other conceptual information.

Exiting the SmartCard Console

You can exit the SmartCard Console at any time by choosing Exit from the Console menu. Any changes you made during the session are saved.

Starting the SmartCard Console

When you install the Solaris 8 software, you automatically install the SmartCard Console. You can start the SmartCard Console either by accessing it from your Solaris desktop or from the command line.

How to Start the SmartCard Console (CDE)

This procedure describes how to start the SmartCard Console from CDE's Application Manager.

You can also start the SmartCard Console from CDE's Workspace menu by selecting Tools, and then SmartCard.

1. Log in as superuser to the Common Desktop Environment (CDE).

   If you are currently running CDE under your login name, exit CDE and log in as superuser.

2. From the desktop menu bar, click the up arrow for the Applications icon.

3. Choose Applications to access the Application Manager.

4. Double-click the System_Admin icon to access the Smart Card icon.

5. Double-click the Smart Card icon to start the SmartCard Console.

How to Start the SmartCard Console (Command Line)

1. Log in as superuser on the command line.

2. Start the SmartCard Console:

   # /usr/dt/bin/sdtsmartcardadmin &

Managing Smart Cards from the Command Line

You can use the smartcard command to manage Solaris Smart Cards from the command line. Subsequent chapters provide step-by-step instructions for performing smart card tasks with the smartcard command.