Module mod_auth_db

This module is contained in the mod_auth_db.c file, and is not compiled in by default. It provides for user authentication using Berkeley DB files. It is an alternative to DBM files for those systems which support DB and not DBM. It is only available in Apache 1.1 and later.
  • AuthDBGroupFile
  • AuthDBUserFile

    • AuthDBGroupFile

     Syntax: AuthDBGroupFile filename
    Context: directory, .htaccess
    Override: AuthConfig
    Status: Extension
    Module: mod_auth_db

    The AuthDBGroupFile directive sets the name of a DB file containing the list of user groups for user authentication. Filename is the absolute path to the group file.

    The group file is keyed on the username. The value for a user is a comma-separated list of the groups to which the users belongs. There must be no whitespace within the value, and it must never contain any colons.

    Security: make sure that the AuthDBGroupFile is stored outside the document tree of the webserver; do not put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients will be able to download the AuthDBGroupFile unless otherwise protected.

    Combining Group and Password DB files: In some cases it is easier to manage a single database which contains both the password and group details for each user. This simplifies any support programs that need to be written: they now only have to deal with writing to and locking a single DBM file. This can be accomplished by first setting the group and password files to point to the same DB file:

    AuthDBGroupFile /www/userbase
    AuthDBUserFile /www/userbase
    The key for the single DB record is the username. The value consists of

    Unix Crypted Password : List of Groups [ : (ignored) ]
    The password section contains the Unix crypt() password as before. This is followed by a colon and the comma separated list of groups. Other data may optionally be left in the DB file after another colon; it is ignored by the authentication module.

    See also AuthName, AuthType and AuthDBUserFile.

    AuthDBUserFile

     Syntax: AuthDBUserFile filename
    Context: directory, .htaccess
    Override: AuthConfig
    Status: Extension
    Module: mod_auth_db

    The AuthDBUserFile directive sets the name of a DB file containing the list of users and passwords for user authentication. Filename is the absolute path to the user file.

    The user file is keyed on the username. The value for a user is the crypt() encrypted password, optionally followed by a colon and arbitrary data. The colon and the data following it will be ignored by the server.

    Security: make sure that the AuthDBUserFile is stored outside the document tree of the webserver; do not put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients will be able to download the AuthDBUserFile.

    Important compatibility note: The implementation of "dbmopen" in the apache modules reads the string length of the hashed values from the DB data structures, rather than relying upon the string being NULL-appended. Some applications, such as the Netscape web server, rely upon the string being NULL-appended, so if you are having trouble using DB files interchangeably between applications this may be a part of the problem.

    See also AuthName, AuthType and AuthDBGroupFile.