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Setting Kerberos Options for Windows (using SideCar)

To bring up the menu of options in SideCar you have to right-click (use your mouse's right-hand button to click) on the Sidecar icon in your system tray (lower right hand corner of your screen).

With SideCar on Windows, you can do the following:

  1. Synchronize your clock with the Kerberos time server
  2. Set the Kerberos ticket lifetime
  3. Choose whether or not to display the ticket in a floating window
  4. Choose whether or not SideCar is launched when using Kerberos
With SideCar you can no longer do the following (but you can get around it if you want):
  1. Set the default netID

Synchronize your clock with the Kerberos time server

In order for Kerberos to work properly, the system clock must be within 5 minutes of the Kerberos time server. To set the system clock to the same time as the Kerberos time server:

  1. Start SideCar.
  2. Right-click on the SideCar icon in the System Tray and select Synchronize times.
Your clock will be set to the same time as the Kerberos time server.

Note: Newer versions of Kerberos will perform the time synchronization automatically when a five-minute discrepancy is detected. You will be notified if this occurs.

Set the Kerberos ticket lifetime

The Kerberos ticket lifetime is the time before the Kerberos ticket on your computer will expire. A longer lifetime will prevent you from typing your password as often, but a shorter lifetime is more secure, as it will prevent others from using valid tickets left on your machine.

  1. Start SideCar.
  2. Right-click on the SideCar icon in the System Tray and select Options.

  3. Drag the pointer until it represents the length of time desired.
  4. Click OK

Choose whether or not to display the ticket in a floating window

SideCar can optionally show a little floating window whenever you have a Kerberos ticket (whenever you are logged on). This floating window can also be used to log you off (i.e., clear the ticket) - simply close the window.

  1. Start SideCar.
  2. Right-click on the SideCar icon in the System Tray and select Options.
  3. Put a check next to "Display login in a floating window".
  4. Click OK

Choose whether or not SideCar is launched when using Kerberos

SideCar can optionally be launched automatically when using Kerberos (via e-mail, or Just The Facts, or whatever service that asks you to log in via Kerberos). If selected, then whenever you log in via Kerberos, SideCar will automatically start if it is not already running.

  1. Start SideCar.
  2. Right-click on the SideCar icon in the System Tray and select Options.
  3. Put a check next to "ANY Kerberos use launches Sidecar".
  4. Click OK

Set the default NetID

The default NetID will appear in the Netid field when the Kerberos authentication dialog box comes up asking for a password. This field can still be modified by the user each time a ticket is acquired.

Unfortunately, SideCar does not currently allow you to set this default NetID - it always displays the last NetID used (successfully) when granting a ticket. However, you can reset the Default NetID by following these instructions:

  1. Quit SideCar.
  2. Edit the c:\windows\kview.ini file (or c:\winnt\kview.ini file in Windows NT).
  3. Change the line that says: NetID=xxxx to include the netID you wish to use as the next default ID.
  4. Save the kview.ini file and exit.
  5. The next time the Kerberos authentication dialog box comes up it will display that NetID.