1HTDBM(1) htdbm HTDBM(1)
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6 htdbm - Manipulate DBM password databases
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10 htdbm [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] [ -x ]
11 filename username
12 htdbm -b [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] file‐
15 name username password
16 htdbm -n [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] username
19 htdbm -nb [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] username password
22 htdbm -v [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] file‐
25 name username
26 htdbm -vb [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -c ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] [ -t ] [ -v ] file‐
29 name username password
30 htdbm -x [ -TDBTYPE ] [ -m | -d | -p | -s ] filename username
33 htdbm -l [ -TDBTYPE ]
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40 htdbm is used to manipulate the DBM format files used to store user‐
41 names and password for basic authentication of HTTP users via
42 mod_auth_dbm. See the dbmmanage documentation for more information
43 about these DBM files.
44
48 -b Use batch mode; i.e., get the password from the command line
49 rather than prompting for it. This option should be used with
50 extreme care, since the password is clearly visible on the com‐
51 mand line.
52 -c Create the passwdfile. If passwdfile already exists, it is
54 rewritten and truncated. This option cannot be combined with the
55 -n option.
56 -n Display the results on standard output rather than updating a
58 database. This option changes the syntax of the command line,
59 since the passwdfile argument (usually the first one) is omit‐
60 ted. It cannot be combined with the -c option.
61 -m Use MD5 encryption for passwords. On Windows, Netware and TPF,
63 this is the default.
64 -d Use crypt() encryption for passwords. The default on all plat‐
66 forms but Windows, Netware and TPF. Though possibly supported by
67 htdbm on all platforms, it is not supported by the httpd server
68 on Windows, Netware and TPF.
69 -s Use SHA encryption for passwords. Facilitates migration from/to
71 Netscape servers using the LDAP Directory Interchange Format
72 (ldif).
73 -p Use plaintext passwords. Though htdbm will support creation on
75 all platforms, the httpd daemon will only accept plain text
76 passwords on Windows, Netware and TPF.
77 -l Print each of the usernames and comments from the database on
79 stdout.
80 -t Interpret the final parameter as a comment. When this option is
82 specified, an additional string can be appended to the command
83 line; this string will be stored in the "Comment" field of the
84 database, associated with the specified username.
85 -v Verify the username and password. The program will print a mes‐
87 sage indicating whether the supplied password is valid. If the
88 password is invalid, the program exits with error code 3.
89 -x Delete user. If the username exists in the specified DBM file,
91 it will be deleted.
92 filename
94 The filename of the DBM format file. Usually without the exten‐
95 sion .db, .pag, or .dir. If -c is given, the DBM file is created
96 if it does not already exist, or updated if it does exist.
97 username
99 The username to create or update in passwdfile. If username does
100 not exist in this file, an entry is added. If it does exist, the
101 password is changed.
102 password
104 The plaintext password to be encrypted and stored in the DBM
105 file. Used only with the -b flag.
106 -TDBTYPE
108 Type of DBM file (SDBM, GDBM, DB, or "default").
109
112 One should be aware that there are a number of different DBM file for‐
113 mats in existence, and with all likelihood, libraries for more than one
114 format may exist on your system. The three primary examples are SDBM,
115 NDBM, GNU GDBM, and Berkeley/Sleepycat DB 2/3/4. Unfortunately, all
116 these libraries use different file formats, and you must make sure that
117 the file format used by filename is the same format that htdbm expects
118 to see. htdbm currently has no way of determining what type of DBM file
119 it is looking at. If used against the wrong format, will simply return
120 nothing, or may create a different DBM file with a different name, or
121 at worst, it may corrupt the DBM file if you were attempting to write
122 to it.
123 One can usually use the file program supplied with most Unix systems to
126 see what format a DBM file is in.
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130 htdbm returns a zero status ("true") if the username and password have
131 been successfully added or updated in the DBM File. htdbm returns 1 if
132 it encounters some problem accessing files, 2 if there was a syntax
133 problem with the command line, 3 if the password was entered interac‐
134 tively and the verification entry didn't match, 4 if its operation was
135 interrupted, 5 if a value is too long (username, filename, password, or
136 final computed record), 6 if the username contains illegal characters
137 (see the Restrictions section), and 7 if the file is not a valid DBM
138 password file.
139
142 htdbm /usr/local/etc/apache/.htdbm-users jsmith
143 Adds or modifies the password for user jsmith. The user is prompted for
147 the password. If executed on a Windows system, the password will be
148 encrypted using the modified Apache MD5 algorithm; otherwise, the sys‐
149 tem's crypt() routine will be used. If the file does not exist, htdbm
150 will do nothing except return an error.
151 htdbm -c /home/doe/public_html/.htdbm jane
154 Creates a new file and stores a record in it for user jane. The user is
158 prompted for the password. If the file exists and cannot be read, or
159 cannot be written, it is not altered and htdbm will display a message
160 and return an error status.
161 htdbm -mb /usr/web/.htdbm-all jones Pwd4Steve
164 Encrypts the password from the command line (Pwd4Steve) using the MD5
168 algorithm, and stores it in the specified file.
169
172 Web password files such as those managed by htdbm should not be within
173 the Web server's URI space -- that is, they should not be fetchable
174 with a browser.
175 The use of the -b option is discouraged, since when it is used the
178 unencrypted password appears on the command line.
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182 On the Windows and MPE platforms, passwords encrypted with htdbm are
183 limited to no more than 255 characters in length. Longer passwords will
184 be truncated to 255 characters.
185 The MD5 algorithm used by htdbm is specific to the Apache software;
188 passwords encrypted using it will not be usable with other Web servers.
189 Usernames are limited to 255 bytes and may not include the character :.
192Apache HTTP Server 2005-03-26 HTDBM(1)