Apache Module mod_authn_anon

Description:	Allows "anonymous" user access to authenticated areas
Status:	Extension
ModuleIdentifier:	authn_anon_module
SourceFile:	mod_authn_anon.c
Compatibility:	Available in Apache 2.1 and later

Summary

This module provides authentication front-ends such as mod_auth_basic to authenticate users similar to anonymous-ftp sites, i.e. have a 'magic' user id 'anonymous' and the email address as a password. These email addresses can be logged.

Combined with other (database) access control methods, this allows for effective user tracking and customization according to a user profile while still keeping the site open for 'unregistered' users. One advantage of using Auth-based user tracking is that, unlike magic-cookies and funny URL pre/postfixes, it is completely browser independent and it allows users to share URLs.

When using mod_auth_basic, this module is invoked via the AuthBasicProvider directive with the anon value.

Topics

Example

Bugfix checklist

Example

The example below is combined with "normal" htpasswd-file based authentication and allows users in additionally as 'guests' with the following properties:

It insists that the user enters a userID. (Anonymous_NoUserID)
It insists that the user enters a password. (Anonymous_MustGiveEmail)
The password entered must be a valid email address, i.e. contain at least one '@' and a '.'. (Anonymous_VerifyEmail)
The userID must be one of anonymous guest www test welcome and comparison is not case sensitive. (Anonymous)
And the Email addresses entered in the passwd field are logged to the error log file. (Anonymous_LogEmail)

Example

<Directory "/var/www/html/private">
    AuthName "Use 'anonymous' & Email address for guest entry"
    AuthType Basic
    AuthBasicProvider file anon
    AuthUserFile "/path/to/your/.htpasswd"
    
    Anonymous_NoUserID off
    Anonymous_MustGiveEmail on
    Anonymous_VerifyEmail on
    Anonymous_LogEmail on
    Anonymous anonymous guest www test welcome
    
    Require valid-user
</Directory>

Anonymous Directive

Description:	Specifies userIDs that are allowed access without password verification
Syntax:	`Anonymous user [user] ...`
Context:	directory, .htaccess
Override:	AuthConfig
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_authn_anon

A list of one or more 'magic' userIDs which are allowed access without password verification. The userIDs are space separated. It is possible to use the ' and " quotes to allow a space in a userID as well as the \ escape character.

Please note that the comparison is case-IN-sensitive.
It's strongly recommended that the magic username 'anonymous' is always one of the allowed userIDs.

Example:

Anonymous anonymous "Not Registered" "I don't know"

This would allow the user to enter without password verification by using the userIDs "anonymous", "AnonyMous", "Not Registered" and "I Don't Know".

As of Apache 2.1 it is possible to specify the userID as "*". That allows any supplied userID to be accepted.

Anonymous_LogEmail Directive

Description:	Sets whether the password entered will be logged in the error log
Syntax:	`Anonymous_LogEmail On\|Off`
Default:	`Anonymous_LogEmail On`
Context:	directory, .htaccess
Override:	AuthConfig
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_authn_anon

When set On, the default, the 'password' entered (which hopefully contains a sensible email address) is logged in the error log.

Anonymous_MustGiveEmail Directive

Description:	Specifies whether blank passwords are allowed
Syntax:	`Anonymous_MustGiveEmail On\|Off`
Default:	`Anonymous_MustGiveEmail On`
Context:	directory, .htaccess
Override:	AuthConfig
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_authn_anon

Specifies whether the user must specify an email address as the password. This prohibits blank passwords.

Anonymous_NoUserID Directive

Description:	Sets whether the userID field may be empty
Syntax:	`Anonymous_NoUserID On\|Off`
Default:	`Anonymous_NoUserID Off`
Context:	directory, .htaccess
Override:	AuthConfig
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_authn_anon

When set On, users can leave the userID (and perhaps the password field) empty. This can be very convenient for MS-Explorer users who can just hit return or click directly on the OK button; which seems a natural reaction.

Anonymous_VerifyEmail Directive

Description:	Sets whether to check the password field for a correctly formatted email address
Syntax:	`Anonymous_VerifyEmail On\|Off`
Default:	`Anonymous_VerifyEmail Off`
Context:	directory, .htaccess
Override:	AuthConfig
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_authn_anon

When set On the 'password' entered is checked for at least one '@' and a '.' to encourage users to enter valid email addresses (see the above Anonymous_LogEmail).