htdbm - Manipulate DBM password databases

Available Languages: en | - tr

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

Synopsis
Options
Bugs
Exit Status
Examples
Security Considerations
Restrictions

Synopsis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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htdbm -l - [ -TDBTYPE ] -

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 command - 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 omitted. 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 - platforms 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 message - 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 extension - .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 - formats 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.

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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 interactively 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 -

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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 - system's crypt() routine will be used. If the file does not - exist, htdbm will do nothing except return an error.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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