path: root/docs/manual/mod/mod_authz_dbm.xml

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<modulesynopsis metafile="mod_authz_dbm.xml.meta">

<name>mod_authz_dbm</name>
<description>Group authorization using DBM files</description>
<status>Extension</status>
<sourcefile>mod_authz_dbm.c</sourcefile>
<identifier>authz_dbm_module</identifier>
<compatibility>Available in Apache 2.1 and later</compatibility>

<summary>
    <p>This module provides authorization capabilities so that
       authenticated users can be allowed or denied access to portions
       of the web site by group membership. Similar functionality is
       provided by <module>mod_authz_groupfile</module>.</p>
</summary>

<seealso><directive module="mod_authz_core">Require</directive></seealso>

<section id="requiredirectives"><title>The Require Directives</title>

    <p>Apache's <directive module="mod_authz_core">Require</directive>
    directives are used during the authorization phase to ensure that
    a user is allowed to access a resource.  mod_authz_dbm extends the
    authorization types with <code>dbm-group</code>.</p>

    <p>Since v2.4.8, <a href="../expr.html">expressions</a> are supported
    within the DBM require directives.</p>

<section id="reqgroup"><title>Require dbm-group</title>

    <p>This directive specifies group membership that is required for the
    user to gain access.</p>

    <highlight language="config">
      Require dbm-group admin
    </highlight>

</section>

<section id="reqfilegroup"><title>Require dbm-file-group</title>

    <p>When this directive is specified, the user must be a member of the group
    assigned to the file being accessed.</p>

    <highlight language="config">
      Require dbm-file-group
    </highlight>

</section>

</section>

<section id="examples">
<title>Example usage</title>
<p><em>Note that using mod_authz_dbm requires you to require <code>dbm-group</code>
instead of <code>group</code>:</em>
</p>
<highlight language="config">
&lt;Directory "/foo/bar"&gt;
  AuthType Basic
  AuthName "Secure Area"
  AuthBasicProvider dbm
  AuthDBMUserFile "site/data/users"
  AuthDBMGroupFile "site/data/users"
  Require dbm-group admin
&lt;/Directory&gt;
</highlight>
</section>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>AuthDBMGroupFile</name>
<description>Sets the name of the database file containing the list
of user groups for authorization</description>
<syntax>AuthDBMGroupFile <var>file-path</var></syntax>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>The <directive>AuthDBMGroupFile</directive> directive sets the
    name of a DBM file containing the list of user groups for user
    authorization.  <var>File-path</var> is the absolute path to the
    group file.</p>

    <p>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.</p>

    <note type="warning"><title>Security</title>
      <p>Make sure that the <directive>AuthDBMGroupFile</directive> is
      stored outside the document tree of the web-server. Do
      <strong>not</strong> put it in the directory that it protects.
      Otherwise, clients will be able to download the
      <directive>AuthDBMGroupFile</directive> unless otherwise
      protected.</p>
    </note>

    <p>Combining Group and Password DBM 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 DBM:</p>

    <highlight language="config">
AuthDBMGroupFile "/www/userbase"
AuthDBMUserFile "/www/userbase"
    </highlight>

    <p>The key for the single DBM is the username. The value consists
    of</p>

    <example>
      Encrypted Password : List of Groups [ : (ignored) ]
    </example>

    <p>The password section contains the encrypted
    password as before. This is followed by a colon and the comma
    separated list of groups. Other data may optionally be left in the
    DBM file after another colon; it is ignored by the authorization
    module. This is what www.telescope.org uses for its combined
    password and group database.</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>
<name>AuthzDBMType</name>
<description>Sets the type of database file that is used to
store list of user groups</description>
<syntax>AuthzDBMType default|SDBM|GDBM|NDBM|DB</syntax>
<default>AuthzDBMType default</default>
<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>
</contextlist>
<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>
    <p>Sets the type of database file that is used to store the list
    of user groups.
    The default database type is determined at compile time.  The
    availability of other types of database files also depends on
    <a href="../install.html#dbm">compile-time settings</a>.</p>

    <p>It is crucial that whatever program you use to create your group
    files is configured to use the same type of database.</p>
</usage>
</directivesynopsis>

</modulesynopsis>