Apache HTTP Server Version 2.2

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# Apache Module mod_authz_groupfile

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Description: | Group authorization using plaintext files
Status: | Base
Module Identifier: | authz_groupfile_module
Source File: | mod_authz_groupfile.c
Compatibility: | Available in Apache 2.1 and later

### Summary

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 `mod_authz_dbm`.

### Directives

### See also

- `Require`
- `Satisfy`

## AuthGroupFile Directive

Description: | Sets the name of a text file containing the list of user groups for authorization
Syntax: | `AuthGroupFile file-path`
Context: | directory, .htaccess
Override: | AuthConfig
Status: | Base
Module: | mod_authz_groupfile

The `AuthGroupFile` directive sets the name of a textual file containing the list of user groups for user authorization. File-path is the path to the group file. If it is not absolute, it is treated as relative to the `ServerRoot`.

Each line of the group file contains a groupname followed by a colon, followed by the member usernames separated by spaces.

### Example:

`mygroup: bob joe anne`

Note that searching large text files is very inefficient; `AuthDBMGroupFile` provides a much better performance.

### Security

Make sure that the `AuthGroupFile` is stored outside the document tree of the web-server; do not put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients may be able to download the `AuthGroupFile`.

## AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative Directive

Description: | Sets whether authorization will be passed on to lower level modules
Syntax: | `AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative On|Off`
Default: | `AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative On`
Context: | directory, .htaccess
Override: | AuthConfig
Status: | Base
Module: | mod_authz_groupfile

Setting the `AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative` directive explicitly to `Off` allows for group authorization to be passed on to lower level modules (as defined in the `modules.c` files) if there is no group matching the supplied userID.

By default, control is not passed on and an unknown group will result in an Authentication Required reply. Not setting it thus keeps the system secure and forces an NCSA compliant behaviour.

### Security

Do consider the implications of allowing a user to allow fall-through in his `.htaccess` file; and verify that this is really what you want; Generally it is easier to just secure a single `.htpasswd` file, than it is to secure a database which might have more access interfaces.

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