Apache HTTP Server Version 2.5

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# Apache Module mod_authn_file

Description: | User authentication using text files
Status: | Base
Module Identifier: | authn_file_module
Source File: | mod_authn_file.c

### Summary

This module provides authentication front-ends such as `mod_auth_digest` and `mod_auth_basic` to authenticate users by looking up users in plain text password files. Similar functionality is provided by `mod_authn_dbm`.

When using `mod_auth_basic` or `mod_auth_digest`, this module is invoked via the `AuthBasicProvider` or `AuthDigestProvider` with the `file` value.

### Directives

### Bugfix checklist

- httpd changelog
- Known issues
- Report a bug

### See also

- `AuthBasicProvider`
- `AuthDigestProvider`
- `htpasswd`
- `htdigest`
- Password Formats

## AuthUserFile Directive ¶

Description: | Sets the name of a text file containing the list of users and passwords for authentication
Syntax: | `AuthUserFile file-path`
Context: | directory, .htaccess
Override: | AuthConfig
Status: | Base
Module: | mod_authn_file

The `AuthUserFile` directive sets the name of a textual file containing the list of users and passwords for user authentication. File-path is the path to the user file. If it is not absolute, it is treated as relative to the `ServerRoot`.

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, `mod_authn_file` will use the first occurrence to verify the password.

The encrypted password format depends on which authentication frontend (e.g. `mod_auth_basic` or `mod_auth_digest`) is being used. See Password Formats for more information.

For `mod_auth_basic`, use the utility `htpasswd` which is installed as part of the binary distribution, or which can be found in `src/support`. See the man page for more details. In short:

Create a password file `Filename` with `username` as the initial ID. It will prompt for the password:

`htpasswd -c Filename username`

Add or modify `username2` in the password file `Filename`:

`htpasswd Filename username2`

Note that searching large text files is very inefficient; `AuthDBMUserFile` should be used instead.

For `mod_auth_digest`, use `htdigest` instead. Note that you cannot mix user data for Digest Authentication and Basic Authentication within the same file.

### Security

Make sure that the `AuthUserFile` is stored outside the document tree of the web-server. Do not put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients may be able to download the `AuthUserFile`.