apache - trying to build a password mask for a forum

Hi all.
I want to use Perl to create an Internet forum on an Apache webserver
(for the Intranet site in the company I work for).
Our server is has SUSE OS (NIS) and we use Apache as webserver.
User ID is saved on passwd
Passwords are saved on shadow

My question:
how can I create a forum where ppl must log-in each time they want
to change anything?

I would like that the user will be able to use his own log-in name and
password which he uses when he gets access to the network server.

Would be happy for any hint or idea I might get.
Thanks.

>> Passwords are saved on shadow

There are quite a few of modules to check against system passwd. Start here -> http://modules.apache.org/search

>> where ppl must log-in each time

You can't stop your co-workers from setting their browsers to remember password. Since you ask this in Apache forum, I assume you are trying to use .htaccess method. For that, do a search for the appropriate auth module. For forum, however, nobody uses htaccess approach. But to authenticate against system passwd, you can't use mod_php, you need to use suid root CGI.

>> be able to use his own log-in name and password

That's what LDAP is for. During initial user account creation, you should ldapadd his entire profile to LDAP. Many protocols, just to name a few, FTP, POP, IMAP and Apache, are LDAP-aware.

First, thanks.
I have now even more questions than before but I will take it one at a time... :-)
Q: is it possible to use YP instead of LDAP in this matter? The thing is that we have this module already configured and running on our server and it may save us a lot of time running a new one (LDAP).
What do you say.
Thanks again.

You can say YP works the same as LDAP in your situation but not too many programs are YP-aware. LDAP is the future, but it takes alot of time to learn it. For an average M$ user, maybe 5 years.