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16 <p class="apache">Apache HTTP Server Version 2.1</p>
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22 <div id="preamble"><h1>Apache Module mod_authz_dbm</h1>
23 <table class="module"><tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Group authorization using DBM files</td></tr>
24 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
25 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#ModuleIdentifier">Module Identifier:</a></th><td>authz_dbm_module</td></tr>
26 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#SourceFile">Source File:</a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm.c</td></tr>
27 <tr><th><a href="module-dict.html#Compatibility">Compatibility:</a></th><td>Available in Apache 2.1 and later</td></tr></table>
30 <p>This module provides authorization capabilities so that
31 authenticated users can be allowed or denied access to portions
32 of the web site by group membership. Similar functionality is
33 provided by <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_authz_groupfile.html">mod_authz_groupfile</a></code>.</p>
35 <div id="quickview"><h3 class="directives">Directives</h3>
37 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#authdbmgroupfile">AuthDBMGroupFile</a></li>
38 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#authzdbmauthoritative">AuthzDBMAuthoritative</a></li>
39 <li><img alt="" src="../images/down.gif" /> <a href="#authzdbmtype">AuthzDBMType</a></li>
43 <li><code class="directive"><a href="../mod/core.html#require">Require</a></code></li>
44 <li><code class="directive"><a href="../mod/core.html#satisfy">Satisfy</a></code></li>
47 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
48 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="AuthDBMGroupFile" id="AuthDBMGroupFile">AuthDBMGroupFile</a> <a name="authdbmgroupfile" id="authdbmgroupfile">Directive</a></h2>
49 <table class="directive">
50 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Sets the name of the database file containing the list
51 of user groups for authentication</td></tr>
52 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>AuthDBMGroupFile <var>file-path</var></code></td></tr>
53 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
54 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>AuthConfig</td></tr>
55 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
56 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm</td></tr>
58 <p>The <code class="directive">AuthDBMGroupFile</code> directive sets the
59 name of a DBM file containing the list of user groups for user
60 authentication. <var>File-path</var> is the absolute path to the
63 <p>The group file is keyed on the username. The value for a
64 user is a comma-separated list of the groups to which the users
65 belongs. There must be no whitespace within the value, and it
66 must never contain any colons.</p>
68 <div class="warning"><h3>Security</h3>
69 <p>Make sure that the <code class="directive">AuthDBMGroupFile</code> is
70 stored outside the document tree of the web-server. Do
71 <strong>not</strong> put it in the directory that it protects.
72 Otherwise, clients will be able to download the
73 <code class="directive">AuthDBMGroupFile</code> unless otherwise
77 <p>Combining Group and Password DBM files: In some cases it is
78 easier to manage a single database which contains both the
79 password and group details for each user. This simplifies any
80 support programs that need to be written: they now only have to
81 deal with writing to and locking a single DBM file. This can be
82 accomplished by first setting the group and password files to
83 point to the same DBM:</p>
85 <div class="example"><p><code>
86 AuthDBMGroupFile /www/userbase<br />
87 AuthDBMUserFile /www/userbase
90 <p>The key for the single DBM is the username. The value consists
93 <div class="example"><p><code>
94 Encrypted Password : List of Groups [ : (ignored) ]
97 <p>The password section contains the encrypted
98 password as before. This is followed by a colon and the comma
99 separated list of groups. Other data may optionally be left in the
100 DBM file after another colon; it is ignored by the authentication
101 module. This is what www.telescope.org uses for its combined
102 password and group database.</p>
105 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
106 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="AuthzDBMAuthoritative" id="AuthzDBMAuthoritative">AuthzDBMAuthoritative</a> <a name="authzdbmauthoritative" id="authzdbmauthoritative">Directive</a></h2>
107 <table class="directive">
108 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Sets whether authorization will be passed on to lower level
110 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMAuthoritative On|Off</code></td></tr>
111 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:</a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMAuthoritative On</code></td></tr>
112 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
113 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>AuthConfig</td></tr>
114 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
115 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm</td></tr>
117 <p>Setting the <code class="directive">AuthzDBMAuthoritative</code>
118 directive explicitly to <code>Off</code> allows group authorization
119 to be passed on to lower level modules (as defined in the
120 <code>modules.c</code> file) if there is no group found
121 for the the supplied userID. If there are any groups
122 specified, the usual checks will be applied and a failure will
123 give an Authentication Required reply.</p>
125 <p>So if a userID appears in the database of more than one module;
126 or if a valid <code class="directive"><a href="../mod/core.html#require">Require</a></code>
127 directive applies to more than one module; then the first module
128 will verify the credentials; and no access is passed on;
129 regardless of the <code class="directive">AuthAuthoritative</code> setting.</p>
131 <p>A common use for this is in conjunction with one of the
132 auth providers; such as <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_authn_dbm.html">mod_authn_dbm</a></code> or
133 <code class="module"><a href="../mod/mod_authn_file.html">mod_authn_file</a></code>. Whereas this DBM module supplies
134 the bulk of the user credential checking; a few (administrator) related
135 accesses fall through to a lower level with a well protected
136 <code>.htpasswd</code> file.</p>
138 <p>By default, control is not passed on and an unknown group
139 will result in an Authentication Required reply. Not
140 setting it thus keeps the system secure and forces an NCSA
141 compliant behaviour.</p>
143 <div class="warning"><h3>Security</h3>
144 <p>Do consider the implications of allowing a user to
145 allow fall-through in his .htaccess file; and verify that this
146 is really what you want; Generally it is easier to just secure
147 a single <code>.htpasswd</code> file, than it is to secure a
148 database which might have more access interfaces.</p>
152 <div class="top"><a href="#page-header"><img alt="top" src="../images/up.gif" /></a></div>
153 <div class="directive-section"><h2><a name="AuthzDBMType" id="AuthzDBMType">AuthzDBMType</a> <a name="authzdbmtype" id="authzdbmtype">Directive</a></h2>
154 <table class="directive">
155 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Description">Description:</a></th><td>Sets the type of database file that is used to
156 store passwords</td></tr>
157 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Syntax">Syntax:</a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMType default|SDBM|GDBM|NDBM|DB</code></td></tr>
158 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Default">Default:</a></th><td><code>AuthzDBMType default</code></td></tr>
159 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Context">Context:</a></th><td>directory, .htaccess</td></tr>
160 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Override">Override:</a></th><td>AuthConfig</td></tr>
161 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Status">Status:</a></th><td>Extension</td></tr>
162 <tr><th><a href="directive-dict.html#Module">Module:</a></th><td>mod_authz_dbm</td></tr>
164 <p>Sets the type of database file that is used to store the passwords.
165 The default database type is determined at compile time. The
166 availability of other types of database files also depends on
167 <a href="../install.html#dbm">compile-time settings</a>.</p>
169 <p>It is crucial that whatever program you use to create your password
170 files is configured to use the same type of database.</p>
175 <p class="apache">Maintained by the <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/docs-project/">Apache HTTP Server Documentation Project</a></p>
176 <p class="menu"><a href="../mod/">Modules</a> | <a href="../mod/directives.html">Directives</a> | <a href="../faq/">FAQ</a> | <a href="../glossary.html">Glossary</a> | <a href="../sitemap.html">Sitemap</a></p></div>