Apache Webserver Basic Authentication using htpasswd

Overview

To Secure the Apache Virtualhost (or) a particular document root /directory. We can use this Basic Auth mechanism.

When the user is trying to access the resource from the directory. User will be prompted for Authentication.

Step1

Create a Password file with username and password entry using htpasswd tool. Available at apache bin directory.

This is how the users file looks like by default the password entered will be encrypted using MD5 algorithm

Step2

Make configuration changes in httpd.conf file.

Under the Directory module that you want to apply BasicAuth secuirty

Add the below lines

AuthType Basic
AuthName sarasoftaccess
AuthUserFile bin/users
Require valid-user
DirectoryIndex index.html
Allow from all

This is how our configuration looks like

<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin [email protected]
DocumentRoot J:/www/sarasoft/staticfiles/
ServerName sarasoft.com
ErrorLog logs/sarasoft-error.log
CustomLog logs/sarasoft-access.log common
</VirtualHost>
<Directory  />
AuthType Basic
AuthName sarasoftaccess
AuthUserFile bin/users
Require valid-user
DirectoryIndex index.html
Allow from all
</Directory>
<Directory  J:/www/sarasoft/staticfiles/>
AuthType Basic
AuthName sarasoftaccess
AuthUserFile bin/users
Require valid-user
DirectoryIndex index.html
Allow from all
</Directory>

Here we are enabling security for both ROOT directory and Our Site's Document Root.

Step3

Restart the Web server and Test it using the URL

http://localhost

Now you will be prompted for the password.

When you enter the correct password that you have saved at step1. You will be able to see the page.

Thanks,

AKSARAV

More from Middleware Inventory