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Problem
You want to use the easiest authentication method, in order to add users/permissions to your application.

Solution

1. Install the act_as_authenticated plugin:
   
   script/plugin install http://svn.techno-weenie.net/projects/plugins/acts_as_authenticated

   1	script/plugin install http://svn.techno-weenie.net/projects/plugins/acts_as_authenticated

2. Generate controllers, models and migration:
   
   script/generate authenticated user account

   1	script/generate authenticated user account

3. Add necessary user foreign keys in appropriate tables (ie customer in xxx_create_users.rb), plus other fields you may want to use in your user table (ie role):
   
   create table "users", :force => true do |t| t.column :login, :string ... t.column :role, :string, :default => 'C' ... end add_column :customers, :user_id, :integer ... def self.down ... remove_column :customers, :user_id end

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   create table "users", :force => true do |t|   t.column :login, :string   ...   t.column :role, :string, :default => 'C'   ...   end   add_column :customers, :user_id, :integer   ...   def self.down     ...     remove_column :customers, :user_id   end

4. Run the migration:
   
   rake db:migrate VERSION=xxx

   1	rake db:migrate VERSION=xxx

5. Comment out from app/controllers/account_controller.rb the following:
   
   include AuthenticatedSystem

   1	include AuthenticatedSystem

6. Add it in the app/controllers/application.rb just under the class declaration.
7. Add in application.rb (same as above) the following just after the session section:
   
   before_filter :login_required, :except => [:login, :signup, :logout]

   1	before_filter :login_required, :except => [:login, :signup, :logout]

8. Comment out the default redirection after login and put your own (ie customers): in the account_controller.rb, just before
   the flash[:notice] = “Logged in successfully”.
   Also add the else for the the invalid login:
   
   redirect_back_or_default(:controller => 'customers', :action => 'list') flash[:notice] = "Logged in successfully" else flash[:notice] = "Invalid Login/Password!"

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   redirect_back_or_default(:controller => 'customers', :action => 'list')   flash[:notice] = "Logged in successfully" else   flash[:notice] = "Invalid Login/Password!"

9. Change the action in the signup and logout functions in the account_controller.rb file from index to login
10. Add (optionally) more fields (role) in the signup page (app/views/account/signup.rhtml):
    
    <label for="role">User role</label> &lt;%= f.select :role, ['A','R','C'] %&gt;

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    <label for="role">User role</label>   &lt;%= f.select :role, ['A','R','C'] %&gt;

11. Add restrictions for displaying records depending on user logged in, by using the conditions_for_collection of the activescaffold plugin in app/controllers/customers_controller.rb:
    
    def conditions_for_collection ['customers.user_id = (?)', current_user.id] end

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    def conditions_for_collection   ['customers.user_id = (?)', current_user.id] end

12. Add a menu page layout in app/views/layouts/_menu.rhtml:
    
    <p id="sub-nav"> &lt;% if logged_in? %&gt; &lt;% if current_user.role == 'C' %&gt; &lt;%= link_to "add user", :controller =&gt; "account", :action =&gt; "signup" %&gt; | &lt;%= link_to "assign customer", :controller =&gt; "users", :action =&gt; "list" %&gt; | &lt;%= link_to "change password", :controller =&gt; "account", :action =&gt; "change_password" %&gt; | &lt;%= link_to "customers", :controller =&gt; "customers", :action =&gt; "list" %&gt; | &lt;% end %&gt; &lt;%= link_to "logout", :controller =&gt; "account", :action =&gt; "logout" %&gt; | &lt;%= "Logged in as " + current_user.login %&gt; &lt;% end %&gt;

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    <p id="sub-nav">   &lt;% if logged_in? %&gt;     &lt;% if current_user.role == 'C' %&gt;       &lt;%= link_to "add user", :controller =&gt; "account", :action =&gt; "signup" %&gt;   |         &lt;%= link_to "assign customer", :controller =&gt; "users", :action =&gt; "list" %&gt;   |         &lt;%= link_to "change password", :controller =&gt; "account", :action =&gt; "change_password" %&gt;   |         &lt;%= link_to "customers", :controller =&gt; "customers", :action =&gt; "list" %&gt;   |       &lt;% end %&gt;     &lt;%= link_to "logout", :controller =&gt; "account", :action =&gt; "logout" %&gt;   |       &lt;%= "Logged in as " + current_user.login %&gt;   &lt;% end %&gt;

13. Add the call to the menu partial in the app/views/layouts/application.rhtml, just before the div with id=main :
    
    <%= render :partial => "layouts/menu"%>

    1	<%= render :partial => "layouts/menu"%>