facebook with openid

Question

Referencing http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1827997/is-facebook-an-openid-provider here. This is kind of an additional question based on it.

I have also read the article at : http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2264266/what-is-the-openid-url-of-facebook - but I am still pretty confused on the whole ordeal. The goal is for people who use facebook to easily login to our website, not to neccessarily integrate with facebook and add things to it (yet). I have read the documentation on facebook connect and am still having trouble grasping exactly what we need to do to accomplish this.

I notice that it says that facebook accepts openid logins - so in theory someone with a facebook account could login to a site that took other openid logins, correct? Or do I have to code a separate 'facebookconnect' system just to accept logins from facebook accounts?

Answer 1

There is a difference between an OpenID provider (who gives you a URL you can log into other sites with) and an OpenID consumer (who lets you log into their site using an OpenID URL).

Someone who "accepts openid logins" sounds like a consumer, but your description "someone with a facebook account could login to a site that took other openid logins" is describing a provider.

There's nothing stopping a site being both a consumer and a provider, but as far as I know, Facebook isn't one.

Answer 2

You have to code a separate "Facebook Connect" system just to accept logins from Facebook accounts, they do not use the OpenID standard.

RPX is a commercial service that offers a way to cut down on some of the confusion.