Even the README file is based on xdb_auth_test (by jer) ;) This is an example perl script that uses the new auth/check method in 1.4.2. First, edit your jabber.xml and change the existing ... section to include a , this will allow us to filter out just the authentication namespace and the rest will go to the default xdb_file handler. Add this xdb test script by inserting the xdb_auth_pop3.xml into your jabber.xml server config file just below the top element. Be sure to change the secret and port, and use those instead when starting it. Once the server is restarted with the new configuration, connect the test script by starting it: (the arguments are: server port secret) ./xdb_auth_pop3.pl & Once the script is running, your server will no longer accept registrations, and instead only authenticate any username with a valid pop3 account on $POP3SERVER. It is simply an example of the server using a simple custom authentication back-end. Feel free to learn from and modify in any way that pleases you :) Luis Peralta / jaxp