Apache HTTP Server Version 2.2

Apache > HTTP Server > Documentation > Version 2.2 > Modules

# Apache Module mod_authn_file

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Description: | User authentication using text files
Status: | Base
Module Identifier: | authn_file_module
Source File: | mod_authn_file.c
Compatibility: | Available in Apache 2.1 and later

### Summary

This module provides authentication front-ends such as `mod_auth_digest` and `mod_auth_basic` to authenticate users by looking up users in plain text password files. Similar functionality is provided by `mod_authn_dbm`.

When using `mod_auth_basic` or `mod_auth_digest`, this module is invoked via the `AuthBasicProvider` or `AuthDigestProvider` with the `file` value.

### Directives

### See also

- `AuthBasicProvider`
- `AuthDigestProvider`
- `htpasswd`
- `htdigest`

## AuthUserFile Directive

Description: | Sets the name of a text file containing the list of users and passwords for authentication
Syntax: | `AuthUserFile file-path`
Context: | directory, .htaccess
Override: | AuthConfig
Status: | Base
Module: | mod_authn_file

The `AuthUserFile` directive sets the name of a textual file containing the list of users and passwords for user authentication. File-path is the path to the user file. If it is not absolute, it is treated as relative to the `ServerRoot`.

Each line of the user file contains a username followed by a colon, followed by the encrypted password. If the same user ID is defined multiple times, `mod_authn_file` will use the first occurrence to verify the password.

The utility `htpasswd` which is installed as part of the binary distribution, or which can be found in `src/support`, is used to maintain the password file for HTTP Basic Authentication. See the man page for more details. In short:

Create a password file `Filename` with `username` as the initial ID. It will prompt for the password:

`htpasswd -c Filename username`

Add or modify `username2` in the password file `Filename`:

`htpasswd Filename username2`

Note that searching large text files is very inefficient; `AuthDBMUserFile` should be used instead.

If you are using HTTP Digest Authentication, the `htpasswd` tool is not sufficient. You have to use `htdigest` instead. Note that you cannot mix user data for Digest Authentication and Basic Authentication within the same file.

### Security

Make sure that the `AuthUserFile` 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 `AuthUserFile`.

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