---
name: "login_radius"
section: "8"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/login_radius"
---

# login\_radius(8)

provide RADIUS authentication type

## NAME

**login\_radius** – provide RADIUS authentication type

## SYNOPSIS

**login\_radius** \[**-d**\] \[**-s** *service*\] \[**-v** *name*=*value*\] *user* \[*class*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **login\_radius** utility contacts a RADIUS server to authenticate a *user*. If no *class* is specified, the login class will be obtained from the password database.

When executed as the name *login\_**style*, **login\_radius** will request that the RADIUS server use the authentication specified by *style*.

The options are as follows:

- **-d**

  Debug mode. Output is sent to the standard output instead of the BSD Authentication backchannel.

- **-s** *service*

  Specify the service. Currently only challenge, login, and response are supported.

- **-v** *name*=*value*

  This option and its value are ignored.

The **login\_radius** utility needs to know a shared secret for each RADIUS server it talks to. Shared secrets are stored in the file */etc/raddb/servers* with the format:

```
server shared_secret
```

It is expected that rather than requesting the RADIUS style directly (in which case the server uses a default style) that **login\_radius** will be linked to the various mechanisms desired. For instance, to have all CRYPTOCard and ActivCard authentication take place on a remote server via the RADIUS protocol, remove the *login\_activ* and *login\_crypto* modules and link *login\_radius* to both of those names. Now when the user requests one of those authentication styles, **login\_radius** will automatically forward the request to the remote RADIUS server and request it do the requested style of authentication.

## LOGIN.CONF VARIABLES

The **login\_radius** utility uses the following RADIUS-specific */etc/login.conf* variables:

- radius-port

  Port name or number to connect to on the RADIUS server.

- radius-server

  Hostname of the RADIUS server to contact.

- radius-server-alt

  Alternate RADIUS server to use when the primary is not responding.

- radius-challenge-styles

  Comma-separated list of authentication styles that the RADIUS server knows about. If the user's authentication style is in this list, the challenge will be provided by the RADIUS server. If not, **login\_radius** will prompt the user for the password before sending the request (along with the password) to the RADIUS server.

- radius-timeout

  Number of seconds to wait for a response from the RADIUS server. Defaults to 2 seconds.

- radius-retries

  Number of times to attempt to contact the RADIUS server before giving up (or falling back to the alternate server if there is one). Defaults to 6 tries.

## FILES

- */etc/login.conf*

  login configuration database

- */etc/raddb/servers*

  list of RADIUS servers and their associated shared secrets

## SEE ALSO

[login(1)](/login/1.md), [login.conf(5)](/login.conf/5.md), [radiusd(8)](/radiusd/8.md)

## STANDARDS

C. Rigney, S. Willens, A. Rubens, and W. Simpson, *Remote Authentication Dial In User Service (RADIUS)*, RFC 2865, June 2000.

## CAVEATS

For **login\_radius** to function, the */etc/raddb* directory must be owned by group “\_radius” and have group-execute permissions. Likewise, the */etc/raddb/servers* file must be readable by group “\_radius”.