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Password-protected Web directories

The following requires some familiarity with the UNIX shell or a spirit of adventure and the ability to follow instructions carefully.

  • lines beginning with $ indicate command lines. Type in the text that follows the $.
  • lines beginning with # are comments.

Dial up or SSH to Prairienet (prairienet.org). Select the UNIX shell option from the menu.

From UNIX shell:


$ pwd
/home/DIRNUM/USERNAME

Make note of the number, this is your directory number.

	      DIRNUM = directory number
	    USERNAME = your regular login name
  	     HTLOGIN = login name for the password-protected directory
	PASSWORDFILE = name of password file

$ cd /content/web/users/DIRNUM/USERNAME
$ mkdir security	# create the directory for your password
$ cd security
$ htpasswd -c PASSWORDFILE HTLOGIN # create your encrypted password file

You will be prompted for your password.

In directory to be password-protected, create the file .htaccess:

---------------------------cut here ---------------------------------

AuthUserFile /content/web/users/DIRNUM/USERNAME/security/PASSWORDFILE
AuthType Basic
AuthName "Descriptive title for your users"

order deny,allow
require valid-user


---------------------------cut here ---------------------------------

Test access to your password-protected directory from your Web
browser.  You should be prompted for your username and password.

You can create a shortcut from your home directory to your security
directory as follows:

ln -s /content/web/users/DIRNUM/USERNAME/security security

You're all done!

==================================================
EXAMPLE
===================================================

Create security directory and password file
---------------------------------------------------
$ pwd                                                  
/home/36/xx700
$ cd /content/web/users/36/xx700
$ mkdir security
$ cd security                                          
$ htpasswd -c .htpasswd.admin admin                 
New password: 
Re-type new password: 
Adding password for user admin

Create .htaccess file in protected directory:
----------------------------------------------------
AuthUserFile /content/web/users/36/xx700/security/.htpasswd.admin
AuthType Basic
AuthName "HSN Admin"

order deny,allow
require valid-user

----------------------------------------------------

Create link from home directory to security directory
-----------------------------------------------------
$ cd			# switch to home directory
$ ln -s /content/web/users/36/xx700/security security
$ cd security		# test symbolic link