Viewer Authentication

Note: If you would like to discuss the changes stated in this page, please use the discussion tab at the top. We are reading it and answering your questions there and will update the wiki as needed. Thank you!

Note: This page primarily describes Linden employees' view on the issue that some open source developers have expressed concerns against. If you want to know the open source developers' view or related backgrounds, you are advised to read not just this page but also the associated discussion page and Viewer Authentication Critique page.

Note: The first note above was written by a Linden, and the word "we" refers "Linden employees". The second note (as well as this note) was added by a resident Alissa Sabre for clarification.

Viewer Authentication

Fairly soon, Linden Lab is going to introduce new form of logging in. The current process requires an xml-rpc call from your viewer to our servers that runs along an inflexible code-path that is difficult to maintain. This process will change to a web-based path that is easier to maintain and will allow us easier access to tools for making logins smarter and furthering our anti-fraud efforts.

What Changes For You?

You will see one change when this is released. The viewer's login page will be web-based. It actually won't look that different from the current interface and allows all the same functionality.

(Note: The optional "Go Inworld!" page mentioned here before will be a part of a separate release as it requires more work.)

Keep in mind that if you are developing a third-party application to access Second Life, we will be keeping our old login methods intact until you catch up with the new process - at which point we will shut down the old pathways.

Frequently Asked Questions

"On the viewer's login screen, I'm given the choice of where I want to log into. Will I still have that option?"

Yes. This functionality will be the same both in the viewer's login and on the website's login.

"I use Second Life from a computer that is not mine. How does this affect me?"

Everything works the same as before.

"Why aren't you fixing bugs? I don't care about login!"

Linden Lab has a team of developers who are constantly fixing bugs in Second Life. However, we also have developers who work on the website, the servers, and specific issues such as security, billing, and fraud prevention. Viewer Authentication is being developed in order to extend the ability of our logins such that they can take advantage of new fraud prevention measures, future account security measures, and be placed in a more flexible and easier to access code-path. Fixes to the website's login can be instantly ported to the viewer's login and vice versa.

"What happens when I want to use the First Look client or some other third-party application?"

Until they are brought up to speed with the new login process, these extra applications will still be able to use our old login procedure.