Authentication

NEMAR uses API key authentication with an admin approval workflow.

Workflow Overview

1. Sign up - Create an account with your details
2. Verify email - Click the link in the verification email
3. Wait for approval - Admin reviews your request
4. Retrieve API key - Use nemar auth retrieve-key with your email and password
5. Log in - Use your API key to authenticate

Creating an Account

nemar auth signup

You'll be prompted for:

Field	Description
Username	3-30 characters, alphanumeric with - and _
Email	Valid email for verification
Password	Minimum 12 characters
GitHub Username	Required for PR collaboration
ORCID iD	Optional, used for DOI creator metadata
Description	Why you need NEMAR access (min 20 chars)

Logging In

Interactive

nemar auth login

With API Key

nemar auth login -k nemar_your_api_key_here

Environment Variable

export NEMAR_API_KEY=nemar_your_api_key_here
nemar auth login

Check Status

# View cached credentials
nemar auth status

# Refresh from server
nemar auth status --refresh

Log Out

# Remove the active account
nemar auth logout

# Remove all stored accounts
nemar auth logout --all

Switch Accounts

If you have multiple NEMAR accounts:

# Interactive account picker
nemar auth switch

# Switch to a specific account
nemar auth switch <username>

Resend Verification Email

If you didn't receive the verification email:

nemar auth resend-verification

Security Notes

Keep Your API Key Secure

• Never commit your API key to version control
• Use environment variables in scripts
• Don't share your API key with others

Your API key is linked to: - Your GitHub Personal Access Token (for repository operations) - Your S3 credentials (for data upload/download)

If you suspect your key is compromised, regenerate it immediately:

nemar auth regenerate-key

This sends a verification email and revokes the old key upon confirmation.