Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- en:2.0:single_sign_on:saml_moodle [2025/05/16 20:34] – kainhofer
+++ en:2.0:single_sign_on:saml_moodle [2025/05/17 00:09] (current) – [Setup completed, test Single-Sign-On] kainhofer
@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
   * Install the "[[https://moodle.org/plugins/auth_saml2|SAML2 Single sign on]]" plugin from Moodle's plugin directory:
-{{:en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_01_pluginadministration.png?nolink&400|}}{{:en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_01_plugindirectory.png?nolink&400|}}
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_01_pluginadministration.png?direct&600 |}}{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_01_plugindirectory.png?direct&600 |}}
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_02_plugindirectory_search.png?nolink&700 |}}
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_02_plugindirectory_search.png?direct&800 |}}
   * After installing this plugin, go to the plugin list and scroll down to the "Authentication" section (or alternatively, use the URL https://[YOUR_MOODLE]/admin/settings.php?section=manageauths). The SAML plugin should be shown together with a link to the settings.
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_03_pluginlist.png?nolink&600 |}}
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_03_pluginlist.png?direct&800 |}}
-  * Go to the plugin's settings (either via the link in the plugins page, or in the menu item "Plugins" -> "Authentication" -> "SAML2".{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_04_plugin_settings.png?nolink&800 |}}
+  * Go to the plugin's settings (either via the link in the plugins page, or in the menu item "Plugins" -> "Authentication" -> "SAML2".{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_04_plugin_settings.png?direct&900 |}}
     * The plugin supports auto-loading of Admidio's IdP settings. In particular, one only needs to copy the Metadata URL from Admidio to Moodle's plugin configuration, and the plugin will retrieve all endpoint URLs, the key and the signing/encryption settings automatically.
     * The "IdP label override" only governs the text displayed on the login button.
-    * If one wants more than one SAML IdP as user backend, it is possible to configure each IdP with an alias to provide direct login links or tweak the display. Typically, this is not needed, except for special cases.{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_05_plugin_idp_settings.png?nolink&400 |}}
+    * If one wants more than one SAML IdP as user backend, it is possible to configure each IdP with an alias to provide direct login links or tweak the display. Typically, this is not needed, except for special cases.{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_05_plugin_idp_settings.png?direct&400 |}}
-    * The plugin configuration allows the explicit generation of cryptographic certificates / keys for signing and encrypt. Usually the default is sufficient (a key is generated and used by moodle in any case).{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_06_plugin_settings.png?nolink&400 |}}
+    * The plugin configuration allows the explicit generation of cryptographic certificates / keys for signing and encrypt. Usually the default is sufficient (a key is generated and used by moodle in any case).{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_06_plugin_settings.png?direct&400 |}}
-  * The next section in the Moodle plugin configuration screen provides a link to the SP metadata, which (after the plugin config is saved) provides Admidio with all relevant information to configure its connection with Moodle as a SAML2.0 IdP.{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_07_plugin_settings.png?nolink&600 |}}
+  * The next section in the Moodle plugin configuration screen provides a link to the SP metadata, which (after the plugin config is saved) provides Admidio with all relevant information to configure its connection with Moodle as a SAML2.0 IdP.{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_07_plugin_settings.png?direct&600 |}}
     * The Entity ID is the most relevant identifier that needs to match in Moodle's and Admidio's configuration, otherwise login to Moodle with SAML using Admidio as login backend will not be possible. If the field is left blank, the plugin will generate a unique identifier. One can also choose any other unique string, typically the URL of the Moodle installation.
     * The link to the SP metadata can be copied from the link using the right mouse button. Typically it is of the form ''https://[YOUR_MOODLE]/auth/saml2/sp/metadata.php''. This URL will lalter be inserted into Admidio's configuration.
@@ Line 71: / Line 71: @@
-<WRAP center round todo 60%>
+==== Further configuration in Moodle: Fields Mapping====
-todo box
-</WRAP>
+A seemingly large part of the plugin configuration is dedicated to mapping Admidio's (IdP) fields to profile data fields in Moodle. The first, important mapping is the field for the username. Make sure to map the Admidio username to a SAML field and use it in Moodle to map to the user ID.
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_08_plugin_settings_mapping.png?direct&600 |}}
+Towards the end of the configuration screen, a whole section "Data mapping" is dedicated to fields mapping. Each profile field has four settings: "Data mapping" (SAML attribute from Admidio), "Update local", "Update external" and "Lock value". None of these values is required, but if they are mapped, Admidio's profile data is properly imported into Moodle's profile.
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_09_plugin_settings_mapping.png?direct&900 |}}
-==== Further configuration in Moodle: Fields, Security / Signing ====
+The last section would allow Moodle to act as a SAML IdP, which is not relevant in our case. Enabling IDP means that Moodle's user accounts can be used by other applications. This, however, is not our scope in this tutorial.
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_10_plugin_idp.png?direct&600 |}}
-The configuration of both Moodle and Admidio's SAML provides settings to want / require messages to be cryptographically signed to prevent security attacks. Choose your desired level of security, but make sure that the settings are consistent:
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_05_moodle_setup_samlprovider_crypto.png?direct |}}
-The plugin's configuration page also provides a mapping of SAML attributes to Moodle fields. Again, Admidio provides a similar mapping. Whatever information should be transferred from Admidio to Moodle should be configured. The actual SAML / IdP field name is not relevant, only the source Admidio field and the target Moodle field:
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_07_field_mapping.png?direct |}}
+==== Setup completed, test Single-Sign-On ====
-==== Setup Users and Connect them to their Admidio Username ====
+Admidio and Moodle should now be set up to use Admidio for logging in to Moodle. The SAML plugin even provides a way to test the plugin configuration: Return to Moodle's plugin list (see above), which shows a "Test settings" next to the "Settings" link for the plugin:
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_03_pluginlist.png?direct&600 |}}
-Moodle's SAML app only allows connecting existing users to a SAML account from Admidio. It does not have any functionality to create new users when an unknown account successfully logs in via SAML.
+The test settings page allows a test login from Moodle to Admidio without influencing the current session Moodle. If login is successful, the profile data provided by Admidio is displayed.
-This means that one has to manually create all users that should have access to Moodle first, and then assign each one their proper SAML username. Only after that, single-sign-on via Admidio is possible.
+{{:en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_11_plugin_test.png?direct&600|}}{{:en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_12_plugin_testresults.png?direct&400|}}
-First, you have to configure Admidio to use the "Login name - usr_login_name" as the "User ID field".
+Once, this dry run is successful, one can attempt a real login through SAML.
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_11_admidio_useridfield.png?direct |}}
-Create each user, and in in the "Edit user" form, switch to the "SAML" tab, where you can create a new connection to a SAML account (click "Add a line", select the Admidio IdP on the left and enter the Admidio username on the right).
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_10_connect_user.png?direct |}}
+If you log out of Moodle (or open Moodle in an incognito browser window) and go to the Moodle admin location, you should see the login screen with the choice of logging in with password or via SAML.
-==== Setup completed, test Single-Sign-On ====
+{{:en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_13_moodle_loginform.png?direct&400|}}{{:en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_14_admidio_loginform.png?direct&400|}}
-Admidio and Moodle should now be set up to use Admidio for logging in to Moodle. If you log out of Moodle (or open Moodle in an incognito browser window) and go to the Moodle admin location, you should see the login screen with the choice of logging in with password or via SAML.
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_08_moodle_loginform.png?direct |}}
-After choosing SAML login and loggin in with a user from Admidio, you should be logged in to Nextcloud.
+After choosing SAML login and loggin in with a user from Admidio, you should be logged in to Moodle.
-{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_09_admidio_loginform.png?direct |}}
+{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_16_loginsuccess.png?direct&600 |}}
@@ Line 113: / Line 110: @@
 ==== Caveats and Things to Consider ====
-  * Moodle does NOT automatically create a new user account if a successful login from an unknown Admidio account occurs. Instead, one first has to create a new user (or connect an existing user) and connect that user with the proper Admidio user account name. In Admidio's SAML client config, you can select whether to use the numeric user ID, the login name or the email as "User ID field". Whatever you choose determines which value must be entered in Moodle's user connection field.
+  * Transferring the country profile field from Admidio into Moodle's country field does not work, because Moodle appears to expect a particular format, which Admidio does not provide. The error message might look overwhelming, but it gives a good indication.{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_99_countrymapping.png?direct&600 |}}
-  * To install the SAML plugin, moodle needs the "pysaml2" library installed first. It can for example be installed from the shell with <code>php3 install pysaml2</code>
+  * If you have user accounts from different backends (e.g. local accounts, OpenID Connect login, SAML login) and an account for a user was already created, Moodle tries to match accounts by username (the field selected in the plugin config). However, if the other account has the same email address, but a different user ID through the OIDC or local backend, Moodle will try to create a new account with the SAML user ID, but fails since another account with the same email already exists.{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_moodle_saml_15_login_duplicateemail.png?direct&600 |}}
-  * If moodle is behind a reverse proxy (e.g. Nginx Proxy Manager), correct proxy settings both in Moodle and the proxy itself is vital to make sure that the SAML endpoints in the metadata file and the actually called endpoints actually use https. Otherwise, login will fail without a helpful error message.
-    * In `moodle.conf` set <code>proxy_mode = 1</code>
-    * Make sure the reverse proxy sends all proper proxy headers, including X-FORWARDED-HOST, which is used by moodle to detect a reverse proxy setup. Nginx Proxy Manager by default does not send this header. It is also not easily possible to add this header in the "Advanced" tab of the Proxy Host in NPM. Instead, one has to add Custom Location for "/" and set the X-Forwarded-Host header there via <code>proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;</code> You need to duplicate the forwarding host information from the main host:{{ :en:2.0:sso:sso_saml_moodle_12_npm_x-forwarded-host.png?direct&400 |}}