[Koha] Koha as ID provider to EduGain or EduGate

[David Cook]

Hi Niamh, 

Out of the box, Koha itself cannot act as an Identity Provider. 

However, I have created a solution that I use for a few libraries. 

Firstly, I use the open source identity and access management solution Keycloak to act as the Identity Provider for the target third-party service using either OpenID Connect or SAML.

Secondly, I use this Keycloak plugin that I wrote (https://gitlab.com/minusdavid/keycloak-user-storage-koha) to connect Keycloak's backend system to Koha, so that the username and password you put into the Keycloak UI is actually processed by Koha. 

Other people might have some other ideas, but to summarize again: Koha doesn't have this capability, but there are workarounds like the one I mention above, which can work.

Fair warning: the Keycloak plugin uses an API which the Keycloak community is planning to replace at some stage, so eventually I'll probably need to update the plugin. That said, they've already done that once before, and I've already updated it once before haha. 

Anyway, I hope that's helpful. 

David Cook
Senior Software Engineer
Prosentient Systems
Suite 7.03
6a Glen St
Milsons Point NSW 2061
Australia

Office: 02 9212 0899

-----Original Message-----
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:55:06 +0000
From: Niamh Walker-Headon <Niamh.WalkerHeadon at hse.ie>
To: "koha at lists.katipo.co.nz" <koha at lists.katipo.co.nz>
Subject: [Koha] Koha as ID provider to EduGain or EduGate
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	<VI1PR05MB623825AA745B82093EA6A35FE4852 at VI1PR05MB6238.eurprd05.prod.outlook.com>
	
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Good afternoon,
I am hoping that someone on the list can assist.
We are trying to find examples of where Koha is used as the identity provider for authentication to either edugate or edugain.

If your Koha instance does this, could you please let me know?
With many thanks,

Is mise le meas,

Niamh Walker-Headon
Bainisteoir Acmhainní Leabharlainne |  Library Resources Manager MLIS ALAI

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