htpasswd - Create and update user authentication files
htpasswd
[ -c ] [ -m | -d | -s |
-p ] passwdfile username
htpasswd -b [ -c ] [ -m | -d |
-s | -p ] passwdfile username
password
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 httpd Apache web server can be restricted to just the users listed in the files created by htpasswd. This program can only be used when the usernames are stored in a flat-file. 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 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 <URL:http://www.apache.org/>.
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-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. | ||
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-c |
Create the passwdfile. If passwdfile already exists, it is rewritten and truncated. | ||
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-m |
Use Apache’s modified MD5 algorithm for passwords. Passwords encrypted with this algorithm are transportable to any platform (Windows, Unix, BeOS, et cetera) running Apache 1.3.9 or later. On Windows and TPF, this flag is the default. | ||
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-d |
Use crypt() encryption for passwords. The default on all platforms but Windows and TPF. Though possibly supported by htpasswd onm all platforms, it is not supported by the httpd server on Windows and TPF. | ||
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-s |
Use SHA encryption for passwords. Faciliates migration from/to Netscape servers using the LDAP Directory Interchange Format (ldif). | ||
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-p |
Use plaintext passwords. Though htpasswd will support creation on all platforms, the httpd deamon will only accept plain text passwords on Windows and TPF. |
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.
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), and 6 if the username contains illegal characters (see the RESTRICTIONS section).
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.
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.
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 ’:’.
httpd(8) and the scripts in support/SHA1 which come with the distribution.