This document contains the basics for password protecting your web pages using htaccess. At the moment, this works only on Acad web pages.

1. Creating the User and Password File
2. Configuring the .htaccess file

Before You Begin

1. Creating the User and Password File

cd

and press enter. This will return you to your home or root directory on Acad.

htpasswd     -c     user_password_file     user

• htpasswd - starts the password creation program
• -c - the -c (pronounced "minus c") option is used to create a new password file (use only when creating a new password file. If file exists, leave the -c option out).
• user_password_file - this is the file where your user and password combinations are stored. You can name this file anything you like.
• user - this is the login your site visitor(s) will have to enter (along with the corresponding password you set) to gain access to the password protected sections of your web site.

htpasswd     -c     secret_word     ithelp

chmod 644 secret_word

This is a one time process: You don't have to issue this command every time you add a user. The permissions remain until you change them.

Now, that we've successfully created a file with the user and his/her corresponding password, we are ready to configure the .htaccess file.

2. Configuring the .htaccess file

Say you want to protect your photos directory, which is a sub directory of public_html. First we will change directory to the photos directory using the following two commands:

Once inside the photos directory, we will create the .htaccess file using this UNIX command:

pico -z -w .htaccess

This uses Pico to start a text file .htaccess without wrapping (the -z -w part) as we don't want text wrapping.

The general format of the .htaccess file is as follows (generally, 7 lines):

AuthUserFile /export/home/users/i/t/ithelp/secret_word
AuthName "Welcome To My Home Page"
AuthType Basic

<Limit GET POST>
require valid-user
</Limit>

First Line: Tells the web server where the password file we created in 1 (above) is located. Notice the /export/home/users/i/t/ithelp/secret_word text. You need to obtain this for your own Acad account by using the pwd command at the UNIX prompt.

The text in green is based on the your GWMail login name - the first two letters, followed by your entire GWMail login name. So, for example, if your login name on GWMail (and therefore, Acad) is edwin, use /e/d/edwin/. If your username is ithelp, use /i/t/ithelp/, if your username is janedoe, use /j/a/janedoe/.

Second Line: Use this to display a brief message to those visiting your site. Be sure to enclose the message in double quotes.

Third, Fourth (Blank line), Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Lines: Take our word on these (-:

Now, go ahead and type the above lines in.

Once you are done with the contents of your .htaccess file, press Ctrl-x to save and exit your .htaccess file. You will return to the Acad UNIX prompt.

Next, we'll set file permissions for .htaccess file to 644 using this UNIX command:

chmod 644 .htaccess

Now, go to http://home.gwu.edu/~your_username/protected_directory/ and you will be prompted for your user name and password you created in step 1 above. In my case, I would have to go to http://home.gwu.edu/~ithelp/photos/ .