[CentOS] A naive question respecting x.509 logins

I have been looking at replacing our current login systems with a single login
solution.  In the process I managed to get sidetracked into investigating
pam_pkcs11.  My question, which no doubt reveals the depth of my ignorance,
is: Can a simple USB flash memory stick be configured to work with this or
some similar module of which I as yet know nothing?

Everything I have managed to find about this method of loging on to CentOS
implies that either a special smart-card and dedicated reader or a
purpose-built usb smart-token is required.  Is this in fact so?  Is there no
way to just use a standard usb flash memory 'key' to achieve the same effect?


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James B. Byrne                mailto:ByrneJB at Harte-Lyne.ca
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