What is "freeipa"

In computing, FreeIPA – an open-source project sponsored by Red Hat – aims to provide an easily managed Identity, Policy, and Audit (IPA) suite primarily targeted towards networks of Linux and Unix computers. FreeIPA has goals and mechanisms comparable to those of Novell's Identity Manager or of Microsoft's Active Directory. The Cockpit management console can manage FreeIPA.

FreeIPA uses 389 Directory Server for its LDAP implementation, MIT's Kerberos 5 for authentication and single sign-on, the Apache HTTP Server and Python for the management framework and Web UI, and (optionally) DogTag for the integrated CA, and BIND with a custom plugin for the integrated DNS. Since version 3.0.0, FreeIPA also uses Samba to integrate with Microsoft's Active Directory by way of Cross Forest Trusts.

While each of the major components of FreeIPA is a pre-existing open-source project, the bundling of these components into a single manageable suite with a comprehensive management interface makes FreeIPA more comparable to its proprietary-software cousins, Identity Manager and Active Directory.

FreeIPA aims to provide support not just for Linux- and Unix-based computers, but ultimately for Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X computers.