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 dis
play 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 pass
words; some user records may have MD5-encrypted passwords
while others in the same file may have passwords 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 command 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 argu ment (usually the first one) is omitted. It
cannot be combined with the -c option. - -m Use MD5 encryption for passwords. On Win
- dows, Netware and TPF, this is the default.
- -d Use crypt() encryption for passwords. The
- default on all platforms but Windows, Net
ware and TPF. Though possibly supported by
htpasswd on all platforms, it is not sup
ported by the httpd server on Windows, Net
ware and TPF. - -s Use SHA encryption for passwords. Facili
- tates 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 passwd_
file. 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 contains 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 sys
tem, the password will be encrypted using the modified
Apache MD5 algorithm; otherwise, the system's crypt() rou
tine 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 charac
ters.
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 :.