diff --git a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java
index 11496ccf..2b2f7c29 100644
--- a/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java
+++ b/projects/samskivert/src/java/com/samskivert/servlet/user/UserManager.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //
-// $Id: UserManager.java,v 1.11 2002/05/01 01:50:05 shaper Exp $
+// $Id: UserManager.java,v 1.12 2002/05/02 01:15:09 shaper Exp $
 //
 // samskivert library - useful routines for java programs
 // Copyright (C) 2001 Michael Bayne
@@ -148,10 +148,44 @@ public class UserManager
 	return user;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Authenticates the requester and initiates an authenticated session
+     * for them. <em>Note:</em> The caller should make sure the user has
+     * been authenticated through some other means before calling this
+     * method.  An authenticated session involves their receiving a cookie
+     * that proves them to be authenticated and an entry in the session
+     * database being created that maps their information to their
+     * userid. If this call completes, the session was established and the
+     * proper cookies were set in the supplied response object. If some
+     * other error occurs, an exception will be thrown.
+     *
+     * @param username The username supplied by the user.
+     * @param persist If true, the cookie will expire in one month, if
+     * false, the cookie will expire in 24 hours.
+     * @param rsp the response in which the cookie is to be set.
+     *
+     * @return the user object of the authenticated user.
+     */
+    public User login (String username, boolean persist,
+                       HttpServletResponse rsp)
+	throws PersistenceException, NoSuchUserException
+    {
+	// load up the requested user
+	User user = _repository.loadUser(username);
+	if (user == null) {
+	    throw new NoSuchUserException("error.no_such_user");
+	}
+
+        // generate a session and set the user's auth cookie
+        generateSession(user, persist, rsp);
+
+	return user;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Attempts to authenticate the requester and initiate an
      * authenticated session for them. An authenticated session involves
-     * their receiving a cookie that provides them to be authenticated and
+     * their receiving a cookie that proves them to be authenticated and
      * an entry in the session database being created that maps their
      * information to their userid. If this call completes, the session
      * was established and the proper cookies were set in the supplied
@@ -162,6 +196,7 @@ public class UserManager
      * @param password The plaintext password supplied by the user.
      * @param persist If true, the cookie will expire in one month, if
      * false, the cookie will expire in 24 hours.
+     * @param rsp the response in which the cookie is to be set.
      *
      * @return the user object of the authenticated user.
      */
@@ -179,6 +214,26 @@ public class UserManager
 	    throw new InvalidPasswordException("error.invalid_password");
 	}
 
+	// generate a session and set the user's auth cookie
+        generateSession(user, persist, rsp);
+
+	return user;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new session for the specified user in the session
+     * database table and sets an authentication cookie in the supplied
+     * servlet response.
+     *
+     * @param user the user for whom a session is to be generated.
+     * @param persist If true, the cookie will expire in one month, if
+     * false, the cookie will expire in 24 hours.
+     * @param rsp the response in which the cookie is to be set.
+     */
+    protected void generateSession (User user, boolean persist,
+                                    HttpServletResponse rsp)
+        throws PersistenceException
+    {
 	// generate a new session for this user
 	String authcode = _repository.createNewSession(user, persist);
 	// stick it into a cookie for their browsing convenience
@@ -190,8 +245,6 @@ public class UserManager
             acookie.setMaxAge(24*60*60); // expire in 24 hours
         }
 	rsp.addCookie(acookie);
-
-	return user;
     }
 
     public void logout (HttpServletRequest req, HttpServletResponse rsp)