docs/manual/mod/mod_auth.xml

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<modulesynopsis metafile="mod_auth.xml.meta">

<name>mod_auth</name>
<description>User authentication using text files</description>
<status>Base</status>
<sourcefile>mod_auth.c</sourcefile>
<identifier>auth_module</identifier>
<compatibility>Available only in versions prior to 2.1</compatibility>

<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 <var>file-path</var></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. <var>File-path</var> is the path to the group
    file. If it is not absolute, 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.</p>

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

    <p>Note that searching large text files is <em>very</em>
    inefficient; <directive module="mod_auth_dbm"
    >AuthDBMGroupFile</directive> provides a much better performance.</p>

    <note type="warning"><title>Security</title>
      <p>Make sure that the <directive>AuthGroupFile</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 may
      be able to download the <directive>AuthGroupFile</directive>.</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 <var>file-path</var></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. <var>File-path</var> 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 encrypted password. If the same user
    ID is defined multiple times, <module>mod_auth</module> will
    use the first occurrence to verify the password.</p>

    <p>The utility <program>htpasswd</program>
    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 <a href="../programs/htpasswd.html">man
    page</a> for more details. In short:</p>

    <p>Create a password file <code>Filename</code> with
    <code>username</code> as the initial ID. It will prompt for the
    password:</p>

    <example>
      htpasswd -c Filename username
    </example>

    <p>Add or modify <code>username2</code> in the password file
    <code>Filename</code>:</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 type="warning"><title>Security</title>
      <p>Make sure that the <directive>AuthUserFile</directive> is
      stored outside the document tree of the web-server. Do
      <strong>not</strong> put it in the directory that it protects.
      Otherwise, clients may be able to download the
      <directive>AuthUserFile</directive>.</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>
    <p>Setting the <directive>AuthAuthoritative</directive> directive
    explicitly to <code>Off</code> allows for both authentication and
    authorization to be passed on to lower level modules (as defined in the
    <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 "Authentication 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 <directive>AuthAuthoritative</directive> setting.</p>

    <p>A common use for this is in conjunction with one of the
    database modules; such as <module>mod_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 "Authentication Required" reply. Not setting
    it thus keeps the system secure and forces an NCSA compliant
    behaviour.</p>

    <note type="warning"><title>Security</title>
      <p>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> and the <directive module="mod_auth"
      >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_auth">AuthUserFile</directive> and the <directive
      module="mod_auth">AuthGroupFile</directive>.</p>
    </note>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

</modulesynopsis>