diff --git a/lib/auth.js b/lib/auth.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b03d1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/auth.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+"use strict";
+var __awaiter = (this && this.__awaiter) || function (thisArg, _arguments, P, generator) {
+    return new (P || (P = Promise))(function (resolve, reject) {
+        function fulfilled(value) { try { step(generator.next(value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
+        function rejected(value) { try { step(generator["throw"](value)); } catch (e) { reject(e); } }
+        function step(result) { result.done ? resolve(result.value) : new P(function (resolve) { resolve(result.value); }).then(fulfilled, rejected); }
+        step((generator = generator.apply(thisArg, _arguments || [])).next());
+    });
+};
+var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || function (mod) {
+    if (mod && mod.__esModule) return mod;
+    var result = {};
+    if (mod != null) for (var k in mod) if (Object.hasOwnProperty.call(mod, k)) result[k] = mod[k];
+    result["default"] = mod;
+    return result;
+};
+Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", { value: true });
+const fs = __importStar(require("fs"));
+const os = __importStar(require("os"));
+const path = __importStar(require("path"));
+const core = __importStar(require("@actions/core"));
+const io = __importStar(require("@actions/io"));
+exports.M2_DIR = '.m2';
+exports.SETTINGS_FILE = 'settings.xml';
+function configAuthentication(id, username, password) {
+    return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+        if (id && username && password) {
+            core.debug(`configAuthentication with ${username} and a password`);
+            const directory = path.join(os.homedir(), exports.M2_DIR);
+            yield io.mkdirP(directory);
+            core.debug(`created directory ${directory}`);
+            yield write(directory, generate(id, username, password));
+        }
+        else {
+            core.debug(`no auth without username: ${username} and password: ${password}`);
+        }
+    });
+}
+exports.configAuthentication = configAuthentication;
+// only exported for testing purposes
+function generate(id, username, password) {
+    return `
+  <settings>
+      <servers>
+        <server>
+          <id>${id}</id>
+          <username>${username}</username>
+          <password>${password}</password>
+        </server>
+      </servers>
+  </settings>
+  `;
+}
+exports.generate = generate;
+function write(directory, settings) {
+    return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+        const options = { encoding: 'utf-8' };
+        const location = path.join(directory, exports.SETTINGS_FILE);
+        core.debug(`writing ${location}`);
+        return fs.writeFileSync(location, settings, options);
+    });
+}