The answer to a simple problem is, naturally, simple, and my thanks go to Alan for pointing out the obvious. The short version is: Configure the passwd module in the modules section thus: modules { ... <any other stuff you want configured> ... passwd text_file { filename = /var/text_file format = "*User-Name:User-Password" } } and configure the authorize section like so: authorize { ... <other authorize stuff, life preprocessing> ... text_file } Now, when I run radtest I get the results I expect: rad_recv: Access-Request packet from host 127.0.0.1:32768, id=164, length=64 User-Name = "mward" User-Password = "feeble" NAS-IP-Address = 255.255.255.255 NAS-Port = 10 Processing the authorize section of radiusd.conf modcall: entering group authorize for request 1 modcall[authorize]: module "preprocess" returns ok for request 1 radius_xlat: '/var/log/freeradius/radacct/127.0.0.1/auth-detail-20050804' rlm_detail: /var/log/freeradius/radacct/%{Client-IP-Address}/auth-detail-%Y%m%d expands to /var/log/freeradius/radacct/127.0.0.1/auth-detail-20050804 modcall[authorize]: module "auth_log" returns ok for request 1 rlm_passwd: Added User-Password: 'feeble' to config_items modcall[authorize]: module "text_file" returns ok for request 1 modcall: group authorize returns ok for request 1 auth: type Local auth: user supplied User-Password matches local User-Password Sending Access-Accept of id 164 to 127.0.0.1:32768 Finished request 1 Brilliant! |\/|artin -- Senior Network Administrator, NEC (Europe) Ltd. Acton extension: 3379 NEC*Net: 800-44-21-3379 Direct: +44 20 8752 3379 Fax: +44 20 8752 3389 Mobile: +44 7721 869 356