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Webauthor account passwords - Common questions

In order to login and publish web pages to the 'on-premises' Trinity server, you must have a valid webauthor account and a specific set of permissions to the website you would like to edit.

If you do not already have a webauthor account, information on how to get one can be found here: Webauthor account - general information.

This page answers the most common questions relating to webauthor account passwords.

New webauthor accounts

Passwords for new webauthor accounts

If a new webauthor account has been created for you, the password will be set to your original Trinity password. This is the very first password you would have received when joining Trinity as a staff member.

If you do not have a record of this password, visit the IT Service Desk in person, show your Staff ID and ask for a copy of your 'Original Trinity network password'.

Forgotten webauthor passwords

If you have forgotten what your webauthor password is, please contact the IT Service Desk for guidance.

Changing a webauthor password

To change your webauthor password, you will need to know your most recent working webauthor password. If you have forgotten your most recent password, contact the IT Service Desk for guidance.

The new password that you set should contain at least one symbol, one number, and consist of a combination of lower and upper case letters (e.g. aB34jYv?1).

What software do I need to change my webauthor password?

Windows

If you are a Windows user you will need to use the PuTTY software application.

View our guide for instructions on downloading, installing and using the PuTTY application to change your webauthor password.

macOS

If you are a macOS user you will need to use the Terminal application.

  • To check if you already have this programme, click Applications > Utilities > Terminal

What are the steps to change my password on Windows?

View our guide for instructions on downloading, installing and using the PuTTY application to change your webauthor password.

What are the steps to change my password on macOS?

  1. Open Terminal by going to Applications > Utilities > Terminal

    mac-terminal

  2. Log in to the web server
    • Type ssh username@webpub.tcd.ie
    • Press Return
  3. If you are prompted to save a new Host Key, type Yes and press Return. This is an encryption setting to ensure a secure connection.
  4. Enter your most current webauthor password and press Return.
    • Note, you will not see your key strokes appearing on screen when typing a password.
  5. You are then prompted to type your current webauthor password again.
    • Again, you will not see your key strokes appearing on screen when typing a password.
  6. After typing your current password, type and verify your new webauthor password.
  7. Once the new password is accepted you should close the Terminal window.

Are there security requirements for my password?

Your webauthor account password must contain the following:

  • 8 or more characters (letters,numbers,symbols)
  • At least one symbol
  • A combination of lower and upper case letters
  • Example aB34jY?1)

I've changed my password, what do I do now?

If you edit your webpages via Adobe Dreamweaver, you must now change the reference to your password in Dreamweaver. This will allow you to connect to the server using your new password and continue to edit your webpages.

You will need to do this for each site you have defined in Dreamweaver.

Changing your webauthor password in Dreamweaver

In versions previous to CS5
  1. Click Site > Manage Sites.
  2. Select the relevant website, then click Edit.
  3. Click Remote Info on the left.
  4. In Password field, type your new webauthor password.
  5. Click Test to check if the connection is successful.
  6. Click OK and Done.
In version(s) CS5 / CS6 / CC
  1. Click Site > Manage Sites.
  2. Click Servers on the left.
  3. Double-click on the relevant server entry e.g. webpub.tcd.ie
  4. In Password field, type your new webauthor password.
  5. Click Test to check if the connection is successful.
  6. Click Save, Save and Done.

Expiring webauthor passwords

For security reasons your webauthor account password will automatically expire every 180 days.

  • You will receive an automated email, 6 days prior to the password expiry, directing you to set a new password.
  • You will receive this email daily (for a maximum of 6 days) until you have set a new webauthor password.
  • Should you fail to set a new password before it expires, the webauthor password will automatically expire and stop working.

Can I change my password before it expires?

Passwords can be changed at any time - you do not have to wait for your password to expire after 180 days.

Can I change my password after it has expired?

Yes, even if your webauthor password has expired, you can still change it via the above options. To change an expired password, you must know the last working password for the account. i.e. The password before it expired.

How can I tell if my webauthor password has expired?

Applications like Adobe Dreamweaver do not explicitly tell you that your password has expired - they simply fail to connect or upload your page to the web server.

If your password has expired and you attempt to upload content to the web server via Dreamweaver, you may get the below error message.

If you find you can no longer upload to the web server, and have not changed your password within the previous 180 days then the likely explanation is that your webauthor password has expired and needs to be changed.

What does webauthor password expiry really mean?

Password expiry does not affect the status of your webauthor account, your permissions on the server or any of your web pages; it simply means that you must set a new password before you connect to the web server again.