2.4.x-mod_md/docs/manual/mod/mod_authn_anon.xml

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

<name>mod_authn_anon</name>
<description>Allows "anonymous" user access to authenticated
    areas</description>
<status>Extension</status>
<sourcefile>mod_authn_anon.c</sourcefile>
<identifier>authn_anon_module</identifier>
<compatibility>Available in Apache 2.1 and later</compatibility>

<summary>
    <p>This module provides authentication front-ends such as
    <module>mod_auth_basic</module> to authenticate users similar
    to anonymous-ftp sites, <em>i.e.</em> have a 'magic' user id
    'anonymous' and the email address as a password. These email
    addresses can be logged.</p>

    <p>Combined with other (database) access control methods, this
    allows for effective user tracking and customization according
    to a user profile while still keeping the site open for
    'unregistered' users. One advantage of using Auth-based user
    tracking is that, unlike magic-cookies and funny URL
    pre/postfixes, it is completely browser independent and it
    allows users to share URLs.</p>

    <p>When using <module>mod_auth_basic</module>, this module is invoked
    via the <directive module="mod_auth_basic">AuthBasicProvider</directive>
    directive with the <code>anon</code> value.</p>
</summary>

<section id="example"><title>Example</title>
    <p>The example below is combined with "normal" htpasswd-file based
    authentication and allows users in additionally as 'guests' with the
    following properties:</p>

    <ul>
      <li>It insists that the user enters a userID.
      (<directive module="mod_authn_anon"
      >Anonymous_NoUserID</directive>)</li>

      <li>It insists that the user enters a password.
      (<directive module="mod_authn_anon"
      >Anonymous_MustGiveEmail</directive>)</li>

      <li>The password entered must be a valid email address, <em>i.e.</em>
      contain at least one '@' and a '.'.
      (<directive module="mod_authn_anon"
      >Anonymous_VerifyEmail</directive>)</li>

      <li>The userID must be one of <code>anonymous guest www test
      welcome</code> and comparison is <strong>not</strong> case
      sensitive. (<directive module="mod_authn_anon"
      >Anonymous</directive>)</li>

      <li>And the Email addresses entered in the passwd field are
      logged to the error log file.
      (<directive module="mod_authn_anon"
      >Anonymous_LogEmail</directive>)</li>
    </ul>

    <example><title>Example</title>
    <highlight language="config">
&lt;Directory "/var/www/html/private"&gt;
    AuthName "Use 'anonymous' &amp; Email address for guest entry"
    AuthType Basic
    AuthBasicProvider file anon
    AuthUserFile "/path/to/your/.htpasswd"
    
    Anonymous_NoUserID off
    Anonymous_MustGiveEmail on
    Anonymous_VerifyEmail on
    Anonymous_LogEmail on
    Anonymous anonymous guest www test welcome
    
    Require valid-user
&lt;/Directory&gt;
      </highlight>
    </example>
</section>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>Anonymous</name>
<description>Specifies userIDs that are allowed access without
password verification</description>
<syntax>Anonymous <var>user</var> [<var>user</var>] ...</syntax>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>A list of one or more 'magic' userIDs which are allowed
    access without password verification. The userIDs are space
    separated. It is possible to use the ' and " quotes to allow a
    space in a userID as well as the \ escape character.</p>

    <p>Please note that the comparison is
    <strong>case-IN-sensitive</strong>.<br />
    It's strongly recommended that the magic username
    '<code>anonymous</code>' is always one of the allowed
    userIDs.</p>

    <example><title>Example:</title>
    <highlight language="config">
      Anonymous anonymous "Not Registered" "I don't know"
    </highlight>
    </example>

    <p>This would allow the user to enter without password
    verification by using the userIDs "anonymous",
    "AnonyMous", "Not Registered" and "I Don't Know".</p>

    <p>As of Apache 2.1 it is possible to specify the userID as
    "<code>*</code>". That allows <em>any</em> supplied userID to be
    accepted.</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>Anonymous_LogEmail</name>
<description>Sets whether the password entered will be logged in the
error log</description>
<syntax>Anonymous_LogEmail On|Off</syntax>
<default>Anonymous_LogEmail On</default>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>When set <code>On</code>, the default, the 'password' entered
    (which hopefully contains a sensible email address) is logged in
    the error log.</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>Anonymous_MustGiveEmail</name>
<description>Specifies whether blank passwords are allowed</description>
<syntax>Anonymous_MustGiveEmail On|Off</syntax>
<default>Anonymous_MustGiveEmail On</default>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>Specifies whether the user must specify an email address as
    the password. This prohibits blank passwords.</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>Anonymous_NoUserID</name>
<description>Sets whether the userID field may be empty</description>
<syntax>Anonymous_NoUserID On|Off</syntax>
<default>Anonymous_NoUserID Off</default>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>When set <code>On</code>, users can leave the userID (and
    perhaps the password field) empty. This can be very convenient for
    MS-Explorer users who can just hit return or click directly on the
    OK button; which seems a natural reaction.</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>Anonymous_VerifyEmail</name>
<description>Sets whether to check the password field for a correctly
formatted email address</description>
<syntax>Anonymous_VerifyEmail On|Off</syntax>
<default>Anonymous_VerifyEmail Off</default>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>When set <code>On</code> the 'password' entered is checked for
    at least one '@' and a '.' to encourage users to enter valid email
    addresses (see the above <directive
    module="mod_authn_anon">Anonymous_LogEmail</directive>).</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

</modulesynopsis>