docs/manual/mod/mod_authn_file.xml

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<modulesynopsis>

<name>mod_authn_file</name>
<description>User authentication using text files</description>
<status>Base</status>
<sourcefile>mod_authn_file.c</sourcefile>
<identifier>authn_file_module</identifier>
<compatibility>Available in Apache 2.0.42 and later</compatibility>

<summary>

    <p>This module provides authentication front-ends such as
    <module>mod_auth_digest</module> and <module>mod_auth_basic</module>
    to authenticate users by looking up users in plain text password files.
    Similar functionality is provided by <module>mod_authn_dbm</module>.</p>

    <p>When using <module>mod_auth_basic</module> or
    <module>mod_auth_digest</module>, this module is invoked via the
    <directive module="mod_auth_basic">AuthBasicProvider</directive> or
    <directive module="mod_auth_digest">AuthDigestProvider</directive>
    with the 'file' value.</p>

</summary>
<seealso><directive module="core">AuthName</directive></seealso>
<seealso><directive module="core">AuthType</directive></seealso>
<seealso>
  <directive module="mod_auth_basic">AuthBasicProvider</directive>
</seealso>
<seealso>
  <directive module="mod_auth_digest">AuthDigestProvider</directive>
</seealso>
 
<directivesynopsis>
<name>AuthUserFile</name>
<description>Sets the name of a text file containing the list of users and
passwords for authentication</description>
<syntax>AuthUserFile <em>file-path</em></syntax>
<contextlist>
  <context>directory</context>
  <context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>The <directive>AuthUserFile</directive> directive sets the name
    of a textual file containing the list of users and passwords for
    user authentication. <em>File-path</em> is the path to the user
    file. If it is not absolute (<em>i.e.</em>, if it doesn't begin
    with a slash), it is treated as relative to the <directive
    module="core">ServerRoot</directive>.</p>

    <p>Each line of the user file contains a username followed by
    a colon, followed by the <code>crypt()</code> encrypted
    password. The behavior of multiple occurrences of the same user is
    undefined.</p>

    <p>The utility <a href="../programs/htpasswd.html">htpasswd</a>
    which is installed as part of the binary distribution, or which
    can be found in <code>src/support</code>, is used to maintain
    this password file. See the <code>man</code> page for more
    details. In short:</p>

    <p>Create a password file 'Filename' with 'username' as the
    initial ID. It will prompt for the password:</p>
    <example>htpasswd -c Filename username</example>

    <p>Add or modify 'username2' in the password file 'Filename':</p>
    <example>htpasswd Filename username2</example>

    <p>Note that searching large text files is <em>very</em>
    inefficient; <directive
    module="mod_authn_dbm">AuthDBMUserFile</directive> should be used
    instead.</p>

    <note><title>Security</title>
    <p>Make sure that the <directive>AuthUserFile</directive> is
	stored outside the document tree of the web-server; do <em>not</em>
	put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients will
	be able to download the <directive>AuthUserFile</directive>.</p>
    </note>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>AuthUserFileAuthoritative</name>
<description>Sets whether authorization and authentication are
passed to lower level modules</description>
<syntax>AuthUserFileAuthoritative on|off</syntax>
<default>AuthUserFileAuthoritative on</default>
<contextlist>
  <context>directory</context>
  <context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <note>This information has not been updated for Apache 2.0, which
    uses a different system for module ordering.</note>

    <p>Setting the <directive>AuthAuthoritative</directive> directive
    explicitly to <strong>'off'</strong> allows for both
    authentication and authorization to be passed on to lower level
    modules (as defined in the <code>Configuration</code> and
    <code>modules.c</code> files) if there is <strong>no
    userID</strong> or <strong>rule</strong> matching the supplied
    userID. If there is a userID and/or rule specified; the usual
    password and access checks will be applied and a failure will give
    an Authorization Required reply.</p>

    <p>So if a userID appears in the database of more than one module;
    or if a valid <directive module="core">Require</directive>
    directive applies to more than one module; then the first module
    will verify the credentials; and no access is passed on;
    regardless of the AuthAuthoritative setting.</p>

    <p>By default; control is not passed on; and an unknown userID or
    rule will result in an Authorization Required reply. Not setting
    it thus keeps the system secure; and forces an NCSA compliant
    behaviour.</p>

    <note><title>Security</title> Do consider the implications of
    allowing a user to allow fall-through in his .htaccess file; and
    verify that this is really what you want; Generally it is easier
    to just secure a single .htpasswd file, than it is to secure a
    database such as mSQL. Make sure that the <directive
    module="mod_authn_file">AuthUserFile</directive> and the <directive
    module="mod_authz_groupfile">AuthGroupFile</directive> are stored outside
    the document tree of the web-server; do <em>not</em> put them in the
    directory that they protect. Otherwise, clients will be able to
    download the <directive module="mod_authn_file">AuthUserFile</directive>
    and the <directive module="mod_authz_groupfile">AuthGroupFile</directive>.
    </note>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

</modulesynopsis>