Changing Passwords and Learning Management System Using Domino LDAP

Here’s a little trick that may come in handy for some shops using Lotus LMS and Domino LDAP. We’ve got quite a few users using LMS that don’t have email for one reason or another. This presents the issue of how to get them to change their password after their initial login. Of course we can’t force the change…yet…, but we can give them a link to the change password URL of a Domino server so they can be told to change it and actually be able to change it. This will take minimum skills in editing text files - the JSP used to show the link. You’ll also want to point to a server that has an SSL cert so the passwords aren’t clear text. On to the fun stuff!

The JSP file in question is studentHomeNavigation.jsp. Open it in your favorite text editor and find the Resources section which shows the Resources menu items on the nav column on the left. Find the spot you want to add the link and paste the following text in. You’ll need to change the server name to match your own of course! ps - You’ll need to remove the space inbetween the ‘<’ and the next character for the code to work.

<%-- Display Password change link - user ProgressReport persmission - added 8/4/2004--%>
< lms:permissioncheck permissionname="Home_Progress">
<tr class="hmPrimNavBgOFF" valign="top">
<td width="1">
<div class="homeNavBulletPostion">< /div>
</td>
<td width="99%">
<div class="homeNavItemPostion">< a href="javascript: void openWindow('http://webserver.domain.com/names.nsf?ChangePassword', 'pswdchange', 'resizable,scrollbars')" title="Change your password." class="homeNavOFF" onmouseover="window.status = 'Change your password.'; return true" onmouseout="window.status = ''; return true">Password Change< /a>< /div>
</td>
</tr>
</lms:permissionCheck>

The permissionCheck parameters add security checking so that the user has to be logged in and have rights to view the Resources section, I set it up to use the ProgressReport permission, but you can use whatever looks right to you. There’s no need in showing the link to anonymous users.

After you add in the text, save it and store it in your repository so you have it after upgrading in the future - remember upgrades write over existing JSPs. After you save it on the server, it’s usually just a matter of time before it appears on your website.

We’ve also used this method to add link to the Sametime test meeting for LVC users, but I’ll leave that for you to figure out - I wouldn’t want to spoil the fun of self-discovery!


See also