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<modulesynopsis metafile="mod_authz_groupfile.xml.meta">

<name>mod_authz_groupfile</name>

<description>Group authorization using plaintext files</description>

<status>Base</status>

<sourcefile>mod_authz_groupfile.c</sourcefile>

<identifier>authz_groupfile_module</identifier>

<compatibility>Available in Apache 2.1 and later</compatibility>

<summary>

<p>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 <module>mod_authz_dbm</module>.</p>

</summary>

<seealso><directive module="core">Require</directive></seealso>

<seealso><directive module="core">Satisfy</directive></seealso>

<directivesynopsis>

<name>AuthGroupFile</name>

<description>Sets the name of a text file containing the list

of user groups for authentication</description>

<syntax>AuthGroupFile <var>file-path</var></syntax>

<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>

</contextlist>

<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>

<p>The <directive>AuthGroupFile</directive> directive sets the

name of a textual file containing the list of user groups for user

authentication. <var>File-path</var> is the path to the group

file. If it is not absolute, it is treated as relative to the <directive

module="core">ServerRoot</directive>.</p>

<p>Each line of the group file contains a groupname followed by a

colon, followed by the member usernames separated by spaces.</p>

<example><title>Example:</title>

mygroup: bob joe anne

</example>

<p>Note that searching large text files is <em>very</em>

inefficient; <directive module="mod_authz_dbm"

>AuthDBMGroupFile</directive> provides a much better performance.</p>

<note type="warning"><title>Security</title>

<p>Make sure that the <directive>AuthGroupFile</directive> is

stored outside the document tree of the web-server; do <em>not</em>

put it in the directory that it protects. Otherwise, clients may

be able to download the <directive>AuthGroupFile</directive>.</p>

</note>

</usage>

</directivesynopsis>

<directivesynopsis>

<name>AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative</name>

<description>Sets whether authorization will be passed on to lower level

modules</description>

<syntax>AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative On|Off</syntax>

<default>AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative On</default>

<contextlist><context>directory</context><context>.htaccess</context>

</contextlist>

<override>AuthConfig</override>

<usage>

<p>Setting the <directive>AuthzGroupFileAuthoritative</directive>

directive explicitly to <code>Off</code> allows for

group authorization to be passed on to lower level modules (as defined

in the <code>modules.c</code> files) if there is <strong>no

group</strong> matching the supplied userID.</p>

<p>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.</p>

<note type="warning"><title>Security</title>

<p>Do consider the implications of allowing a user to

allow fall-through in his <code>.htaccess</code> file; and verify

that this is really what you want; Generally it is easier to just

secure a single <code>.htpasswd</code> file, than it is to secure

a database which might have more access interfaces.</p>

</note>

</usage>

</directivesynopsis>

</modulesynopsis>