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Apache HTTP Server Version 1.3
Module mod_auth_anon
This module allows "anonymous" user access to authenticated areas.
Status:
Extension
Source
File: mod_auth_anon.c
Module
Identifier: anon_auth_module
Compatibility:
Available in Apache 1.1 and later.
Summary
This module does access control in a manner similar to anonymous-ftp sites; i.e.
have a 'magic' user id 'anonymous' and the email address as a password. These email addresses
can be logged.
Combined with other (database) access control methods, this allows for effective user
tracking and customization according to a user profile while still keeping the site open for
'unregistered' users. One advantage of using Auth-based user tracking is that, unlike
magic-cookies and funny URL pre/postfixes, it is completely browser independent and it allows
users to share URLs.
The example below (when combined with the Auth directives of a htpasswd-file based (or GDM,
mSQL etc.) base access control system allows users in as 'guests' with the following
properties:
- It insists that the user enters a userId. (
Anonymous_NoUserId)
- It insists that the user enters a password. (
Anonymous_MustGiveEmail)
- The password entered must be a valid email address, ie. contain at least one '@' and a
'.'. (
Anonymous_VerifyEmail)
- The userID must be one of
anonymous guest www test welcome and comparison
is not case sensitive.
- And the Email addresses entered in the passwd field are logged to the error log file (
Anonymous_LogEmail)
Excerpt of httpd.conf:
Anonymous_NoUserId off
Anonymous_MustGiveEmail on
Anonymous_VerifyEmail on
Anonymous_LogEmail on
Anonymous anonymous guest www test welcome
AuthName "Use 'anonymous' & Email address for guest entry"
AuthType basic
# An AuthUserFile/AuthDBUserFile/AuthDBMUserFile
# directive must be specified, or use
# Anonymous_Authoritative for public access.
# In the .htaccess for the public directory, add:
<Files *>
Order Deny,Allow
Allow from all
Require valid-user
</Files>
Syntax:
Anonymous user [user] ...
Default:
none
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Extension
Module:
mod_auth_anon
A list of one or more 'magic' userIDs which are allowed access without password
verification. The userIDs are space separated. It is possible to use the ' and " quotes
to allow a space in a userID as well as the \ escape character.
Please note that the comparison is case-IN-sensitive.
I strongly suggest that the magic username 'anonymous' is always one of the
allowed userIDs.
Example:
Anonymous anonymous "Not Registered" 'I don\'t know'
This would allow the user to enter without password verification by using the userId's
'anonymous', 'AnonyMous','Not Registered' and 'I Don't Know'.
Syntax:
Anonymous_Authoritative on|off
Default:
Anonymous_Authoritative off
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Extension
Module:
mod_auth_anon
When set 'on', there is no fall-through to other authorization methods. So if a userID does
not match the values specified in the Anonymous directive, access is denied.
Be sure you know what you are doing when you decide to switch it on. And remember that it
is the linking order of the modules (in the Configuration / Make file) which details the order
in which the Authorization modules are queried.
Syntax:
Anonymous_LogEmail on|off
Default:
Anonymous_LogEmail on
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Extension
Module:
mod_auth_anon
When set 'on', the default, the 'password' entered (which hopefully contains a sensible
email address) is logged in the error log. The message is logged at a level of info,
and so you must have
LogLevel
set to at least info in order to see this message.
Log entries will look like the following example:
[Fri Apr 26 14:49:50 2002] [info] [client 192.168.1.105] Anonymous: Passwd
Accepted
Syntax:
Anonymous_MustGiveEmail on|off
Default:
Anonymous_MustGiveEmail on
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Extension
Module:
mod_auth_anon
Specifies whether the user must specify an email address as the password. This prohibits
blank passwords.
Syntax:
Anonymous_NoUserID on|off
Default:
Anonymous_NoUserID off
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Extension
Module:
mod_auth_anon
When set 'on', users can leave the userID (and perhaps the password field) empty. This can
be very convenient for MS-Explorer users who can just hit return or click directly on the OK
button; which seems a natural reaction.
Syntax:
Anonymous_VerifyEmail on|off
Default:
Anonymous_VerifyEmail off
Context:
directory, .htaccess
Override:
AuthConfig
Status:
Extension
Module:
mod_auth_anon
When set 'on' the 'password' entered is checked for at least one '@' and a '.' to encourage
users to enter valid email addresses (see the above Auth_LogEmail).
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