This version of GitHub Enterprise Server was discontinued on 2024-09-25. No patch releases will be made, even for critical security issues. For better performance, improved security, and new features, upgrade to the latest version of GitHub Enterprise Server. For help with the upgrade, contact GitHub Enterprise support.

Allowing built-in authentication for users outside your provider

You can configure fallback authentication to allow built-in authentication for people who don't have an account on your CAS, LDAP, or SAML authentication provider.

In this article

About built-in authentication for users outside your provider

By default, when you enable external authentication for GitHub Enterprise Server, built-in authentication is disabled for your instance. For more information, see "About identity and access management."

If you're unable to add specific accounts to your external authentication provider, such as accounts for contractors or machine users, you can configure fallback authentication. Fallback authentication allows built-in authentication for outside users and to access a fallback account if your authentication provider is unavailable.

If you configure built-in authentication and a person successfully authenticates with SAML or CAS, the person will no longer have the option to authenticate with a username and password. If a user successfully authenticates with LDAP, the credentials are no longer considered internal.

Warning: If you disable built-in authentication, you must individually suspend any users that should no longer have access to the instance. For more information, see "Suspending and unsuspending users."

Configuring built-in authentication for users outside your provider

  1. From an administrative account on GitHub Enterprise Server, in the upper-right corner of any page, click .
  2. If you're not already on the "Site admin" page, in the upper-left corner, click Site admin.
  3. In the " Site admin" sidebar, click Management Console.
  4. In the "Settings" sidebar, click Authentication.
  5. Under "Authentication", select your authentication method.
  6. Select Allow creation of accounts with built-in authentication.
  7. Read the warning, then click Ok.

Two-factor authentication

When using LDAP or built-in authentication, two-factor authentication is supported. Organization owners can require members to have two-factor authentication enabled.

Inviting users outside your provider to authenticate to your instance

When a user accepts the invitation, they can use their username and password to sign in rather than signing in through the IdP.

  1. Sign in to your GitHub Enterprise Server instance at http(s)://HOSTNAME/login.
  2. From an administrative account on GitHub Enterprise Server, in the upper-right corner of any page, click .
  3. If you're not already on the "Site admin" page, in the upper-left corner, click Site admin.
  4. In the left sidebar, click Invite user.
  5. Type the username and email address for each of the user accounts that you'd like to create, then click Generate a password reset link.

Further reading