HTDBM(1) htdbm HTDBM(1)
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 ] filename 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 ] filename username
htdbm -vb [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] filename 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 usernames 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
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 omit-ted. omitted.
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 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 sup-plied supplied
plied 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 for-mat format
mat 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 interactively and the veri-fication verification
fication 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 system'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 -that
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)
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