If your host is integrated with an Active Directory, a ticket is already present. While being easy on Linux and OSX, it is a little bit more complicated on Windows.

Safari will work right away while Firefox and Chrome will require some adjustments easily found on the Internet. Most of the time, Kerberos comes pre-installed or, if not, a simple command with your favourite package manager will install the client library. The client installation procedure is very easy on Linux and OSX. When the ticket is transmitted over HTTP, the communication make use of the SPNEGO protocol which store the ticket information into the HTTP header request. This ticket can later be used to create a service ticket (TS) which is used to access a remote service using an RPC connection or over HTTP. When a user wish to gain access to a Kerberos secured service, he must first authenticate and, once successful, he will receive a master ticket called TGT stored on his local host. It is frequently used in complex systems such as Hadoop based Big Data platforms.

It is often used as a Single Sign On (SSO) solution or to authenticate not only users but also computer nodes and services. Windows 2000 and later versions use Kerberos as its default authentication method. In computer, Kerberos is an authentication protocol based on the exchange of tickets. He is commonly described as a three-headed dog, a serpent’s tail, mane of snakes and a lion’s claws. In Greek mythology, Kerberos, also called Cerberus, guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving.

Windows kinit command