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HTPASSWD(1) htpasswd HTPASSWD(1)
NAME
htpasswd - Manage user files for basic authentication
SYNOPSIS
htpasswd [ -c ] [ -m ] [ -D ] passwdfile username
htpasswd -b [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -D ] passwdfile username
password
htpasswd -n [ -m | -d | -s | -p ] username
htpasswd -nb [ -m | -d | -s | -p ] username password
SUMMARY
htpasswd is used to create and update the flat-files used to store
usernames and password for basic authentication of HTTP users. If
htpasswd cannot access a file, such as not being able to write to the
output file or not being able to read the file in order to update it,
it returns an error status and makes no changes.
Resources available from the Apache HTTP server can be restricted to
just the users listed in the files created by htpasswd. This program
can only manage usernames and passwords stored in a flat-file. It can
encrypt and display password information for use in other types of
data stores, though. To use a DBM database see dbmmanage.
htpasswd encrypts passwords using either a version of MD5 modified for
Apache, or the system's crypt() routine. Files managed by htpasswd may
contain both types of passwords; some user records may have
MD5-encrypted passwords while others in the same file may have pass-
words encrypted with crypt().
This manual page only lists the command line arguments. For details of
the directives necessary to configure user authentication in httpd see
the Apache manual, which is part of the Apache distribution or can be
found at http://httpd.apache.org/.
OPTIONS
-b Use batch mode; i.e., get the password from the command line
rather than prompting for it. This option should be used with
extreme care, since the password is clearly visible on the com-
mand line.
-c Create the passwdfile. If passwdfile already exists, it is
rewritten and truncated. This option cannot be combined with
the -n option.
-n Display the results on standard output rather than updating a
file. This is useful for generating password records acceptable
to Apache for inclusion in non-text data stores. This option
changes the syntax of the command line, since the passwdfile
argument (usually the first one) is omitted. It cannot be com-
bined with the -c option.
-m Use MD5 encryption for passwords. On Windows, Netware and TPF,
this is the default.
-d Use crypt() encryption for passwords. The default on all plat-
forms but Windows, Netware and TPF. Though possibly supported
by htpasswd on all platforms, it is not supported by the httpd
server on Windows, Netware and TPF.
-s Use SHA encryption for passwords. Facilitates migration from/to
Netscape servers using the LDAP Directory Interchange Format
(ldif).
-p Use plaintext passwords. Though htpasswd will support creation
on all platforms, the httpd daemon will only accept plain text
passwords on Windows, Netware and TPF.
-D Delete user. If the username exists in the specified htpasswd
file, it will be deleted.
passwdfile
Name of the file to contain the user name and password. If -c
is given, this file is created if it does not already exist, or
rewritten and truncated if it does exist.
username
The username to create or update in passwdfile. If username
does not exist in this file, an entry is added. If it does
exist, the password is changed.
password
The plaintext password to be encrypted and stored in the file.
Only used with the -b flag.
EXIT STATUS
htpasswd returns a zero status ("true") if the username and password
have been successfully added or updated in the passwdfile. htpasswd
returns 1 if it encounters some problem accessing files, 2 if there
was a syntax problem with the command line, 3 if the password was
entered interactively and the verification entry didn't match, 4 if
its operation was interrupted, 5 if a value is too long (username,
filename, password, or final computed record), 6 if the username con-
tains illegal characters (see the Restrictions section), and 7 if the
file is not a valid password file.
EXAMPLES
htpasswd /usr/local/etc/apache/.htpasswd-users jsmith
Adds or modifies the password for user jsmith. The user is prompted
for the password. If executed on a Windows system, the password will
be encrypted using the modified Apache MD5 algorithm; otherwise, the
system's crypt() routine will be used. If the file does not exist,
htpasswd will do nothing except return an error.
htpasswd -c /home/doe/public_html/.htpasswd jane
Creates a new file and stores a record in it for user jane. The user
is prompted for the password. If the file exists and cannot be read,
or cannot be written, it is not altered and htpasswd will display a
message and return an error status.
htpasswd -mb /usr/web/.htpasswd-all jones Pwd4Steve
Encrypts the password from the command line (Pwd4Steve) using the MD5
algorithm, and stores it in the specified file.
SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS
Web password files such as those managed by htpasswd should not be
within the Web server's URI space -- that is, they should not be
fetchable with a browser.
The use of the -b option is discouraged, since when it is used the
unencrypted password appears on the command line.
RESTRICTIONS
On the Windows and MPE platforms, passwords encrypted with htpasswd
are limited to no more than 255 characters in length. Longer passwords
will be truncated to 255 characters.
The MD5 algorithm used by htpasswd is specific to the Apache software;
passwords encrypted using it will not be usable with other Web
servers.
Usernames are limited to 255 bytes and may not include the character
:.
Apache HTTP Server 2004-01-06 HTPASSWD(1)
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