htdbm(1apache2)

NAME

       htdbm - Manipulate DBM password databases

SYNOPSIS

       htdbm  [  -TDBTYPE  ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] [ -x ]
       filename username

       htdbm -b [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ]  file-
       name username password

       htdbm -n [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] username

       htdbm -nb [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] username password

       htdbm  -v [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] file-
       name username

       htdbm -vb [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] file-
       name username password

       htdbm -x [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] filename username

       htdbm -l [ -TDBTYPE ]

SUMMARY

       htdbm  is  used  to manipulate the DBM format files used to store user-
       names  and  password  for  basic  authentication  of  HTTP  users   via
       mod_auth_dbm.  See  the  dbmmanage  documentation  for more information
       about these DBM files.

OPTIONS

       -b     Use batch mode; i.e., get the password  from  the  command  line
              rather  than  prompting  for it. This option should be used with
              extreme care, since the password is clearly visible on the  com-
              mand line.

       -c     Create  the  passwdfile.  If  passwdfile  already  exists, it is
              rewritten and truncated. This option cannot be combined with the
              -n option.

       -n     Display  the  results  on standard output rather than updating a
              database. This option changes the syntax of  the  command  line,
              since  the  passwdfile argument (usually the first one) is omit-
              ted. It cannot be combined with the -c option.

       -m     Use MD5 encryption for passwords. On Windows, Netware  and  TPF,
              this is the default.

       -d     Use  crypt()  encryption for passwords. The default on all plat-
              forms but Windows, Netware and TPF. Though possibly supported by
              htdbm  on all platforms, it is not supported by the httpd server
              on Windows, Netware and TPF.

       -s     Use SHA encryption for passwords. Facilitates migration  from/to
              Netscape  servers  using  the  LDAP Directory Interchange Format
              (ldif).

       -p     Use plaintext passwords. Though htdbm will support  creation  on
              all  platforms,  the  httpd  daemon  will only accept plain text
              passwords on Windows, Netware and TPF.

       -l     Print each of the usernames and comments from  the  database  on
              stdout.

       -t     Interpret  the final parameter as a comment. When this option is
              specified, an additional string can be appended to  the  command
              line;  this  string will be stored in the "Comment" field of the
              database, associated with the specified username.

       -v     Verify the username and password. The program will print a  mes-
              sage  indicating  whether the supplied password is valid. If the
              password is invalid, the program exits with error code 3.

       -x     Delete user. If the username exists in the specified  DBM  file,
              it will be deleted.

       filename
              The  filename of the DBM format file. Usually without the exten-
              sion .db, .pag, or .dir. If -c is given, the DBM file is created
              if it does not already exist, or updated if it does exist.

       username
              The username to create or update in passwdfile. If username does
              not exist in this file, an entry is added. If it does exist, the
              password is changed.

       password
              The  plaintext  password  to  be encrypted and stored in the DBM
              file. Used only with the -b flag.

       -TDBTYPE
              Type of DBM file (SDBM, GDBM, DB, or "default").

BUGS

       One should be aware that there are a number of different DBM file  for-
       mats in existence, and with all likelihood, libraries for more than one
       format may exist on your system. The three primary examples  are  SDBM,
       NDBM,  GNU  GDBM,  and  Berkeley/Sleepycat DB 2/3/4. Unfortunately, all
       these libraries use different file formats, and you must make sure that
       the  file format used by filename is the same format that htdbm expects
       to see. htdbm currently has no way of determining what type of DBM file
       it  is looking at. If used against the wrong format, will simply return
       nothing, or may create a different DBM file with a different  name,  or
       at  worst,  it may corrupt the DBM file if you were attempting to write
       to it.

       One can usually use the file program supplied with most Unix systems to
       see what format a DBM file is in.

EXIT STATUS

       htdbm  returns a zero status ("true") if the username and password have
       been successfully added or updated in the DBM File. htdbm returns 1  if
       it  encounters  some  problem  accessing files, 2 if there was a syntax
       problem with the command line, 3 if the password was  entered  interac-
       tively  and the verification entry didn't match, 4 if its operation was
       interrupted, 5 if a value is too long (username, filename, password, or
       final  computed  record), 6 if the username contains illegal characters
       (see the Restrictions section), and 7 if the file is not  a  valid  DBM
       password file.

EXAMPLES

             htdbm /usr/local/etc/apache/.htdbm-users jsmith

       Adds or modifies the password for user jsmith. The user is prompted for
       the password. If executed on a Windows system,  the  password  will  be
       encrypted  using the modified Apache MD5 algorithm; otherwise, the sys-
       tem's crypt() routine will be used. If the file does not  exist,  htdbm
       will do nothing except return an error.

             htdbm -c /home/doe/public_html/.htdbm jane

       Creates a new file and stores a record in it for user jane. The user is
       prompted for the password. If the file exists and cannot  be  read,  or
       cannot  be  written, it is not altered and htdbm will display a message
       and return an error status.

             htdbm -mb /usr/web/.htdbm-all jones Pwd4Steve

       Encrypts the password from the command line (Pwd4Steve) using  the  MD5
       algorithm, and stores it in the specified file.

SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS

       Web  password files such as those managed by htdbm should not be within
       the Web server's URI space -- that is, they  should  not  be  fetchable
       with a browser.

       The  use  of  the  -b  option is discouraged, since when it is used the
       unencrypted password appears on the command line.

RESTRICTIONS

       On the Windows and MPE platforms, passwords encrypted  with  htdbm  are
       limited to no more than 255 characters in length. Longer passwords will
       be truncated to 255 characters.

       The MD5 algorithm used by htdbm is specific  to  the  Apache  software;
       passwords encrypted using it will not be usable with other Web servers.

       Usernames are limited to 255 bytes and may not include the character :.

Apache HTTP Server                2005-03-26                          HTDBM(1)