docs/manual/mod/mod_auth.xml

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<modulesynopsis>

<name>mod_auth</name>
<description>User authentication using text files</description>
<status>Base</status>
<sourcefile>mod_auth.c</sourcefile>
<identifier>auth_module</identifier>

<summary>

    <p>This module allows the use of HTTP Basic Authentication to
    restrict access by looking up users in plain text password and
    group files. Similar functionality and greater scalability is
    provided by <module>mod_auth_dbm</module>.  HTTP Digest
    Authentication is provided by
    <module>mod_auth_digest</module>.</p>

</summary>
<seealso><directive module="core">Require</directive></seealso>
<seealso><directive module="core">Satisfy</directive></seealso>
<seealso><directive module="core">AuthName</directive></seealso>
<seealso><directive module="core">AuthType</directive></seealso>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>AuthGroupFile</name>
<description>Sets the name of a text file containing the list
of user groups for authentication</description>
<syntax>AuthGroupFile <em>file-path</em></syntax>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>The <directive>AuthGroupFile</directive> directive sets the
    name of a textual file containing the list of user groups for user
    authentication.  <em>File-path</em> is the path to the group
    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 group file contains a groupname followed by a
    colon, followed by the member usernames separated by spaces.
    Example:</p> 

<example>mygroup: bob joe anne</example> 

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

<note><title>Security</title>
    <p>Make sure that the AuthGroupFile 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 AuthGroupFile.</p>
</note>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<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 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>Adds or modifies in password file 'Filename' the 'username':</p>
<example>htpasswd Filename username2</example>

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

<note><title>Security</title><p>Make sure that the AuthUserFile 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 AuthUserFile.</p></note>

</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>AuthAuthoritative</name>
<description>Sets whether authorization and authentication are
passed to lower level modules</description>
<syntax>AuthAuthoritative on|off</syntax>
<default>AuthAuthoritative 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>A common use for this is in conjunction with one of the
    database modules; such as <module>auth_dbm</module>,
    <code>mod_auth_msql</code>, and <module>mod_auth_anon</module>.
    These modules supply the bulk of the user credential checking; but
    a few (administrator) related accesses fall through to a lower
    level with a well protected <directive
    module="mod_auth">AuthUserFile</directive>.</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_auth">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 module="mod_auth">AuthUserFile</directive>.
    </note>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

</modulesynopsis>