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