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"Password protecting directories"

I need to password protect some directories in both the htdocs folder and the cgi-bin folder, namely for a members only section part of a website and to stop access to certain cgi scripts to anyone but the allowed people.

I've done this with .htaccess and .htpaswrd before on other webspace, does Freeola space allow you to do this or can you suggest a good alternate method?

Thank for that, sounds like a useful thing to have.

cheers for the detail anyway, appreceate it.

.htaccess is a hidden (in Unix) file, which lets you alter settings for the directory it is in (and it's subdirectories, unless they include a .htaccess, which overrides). There's loads of different things it can alter, far too many for me to list. One useful things is to set your own error pages - you know how you sometimes get an Error 404 - Page cannot be found, which is either the stock IE/Netscape page, or a customised one - well .htaccess lets you setup your own page to be displayed when this error occurs. Also, it lets you specify the icons used for a directory listing - when you go to a directory, with no index.html, it gives you a listing of what's in the directory - .htaccess lets you change the icons, and layout of this page. Finally, the most used, and most helpful use for .htaccess is in conjunction with a .htpasswd file, to restrict access to directories. .htpasswd contains encrypted passwords, and when trying to access a directory (or *any* file in it) with a .htaccess file specifying the need to a 'valid user', the browser pops up a dialog box, to input the username and password.

Hope that explained things well enough,
Rikki

Try getting a PHP book, learn a little PHP. I did that and I've made a handy login screen, so it shows the user their details, and only theirs......... takes a little work, but worked out well for me. I have an index.php file in every folder, and have the details in the "ROOT DIRECTORY" folder(NOT in the htdocs folder) so only my scripts can acces them, it's pretty basic now, but does what I needed.

I think for now, just search the net for PHP scripts, all I can reccomend.

By the way, what is this .htacess business???

Apparently, Freeola's servers do not allow .htaccess, and allowing it would 'require massive reconfiguration of the servers', which is extremely annoying. I have pleaded with Support for .htaccess, but they always say no. Are there many others who want .htaccess, as if there are, maybe we should petition for .htaccess.

The alternative is to have a cgi script front end to every directory, which checks for password, but that doesn't stop people accessing other files in that directory. Maybe you could check once on the entry to a restricted directory/file, and if they sign in, you put a cookie on their PC, so the other files know they are allowed to access them.

Rikki

I need to password protect some directories in both the htdocs folder and the cgi-bin folder, namely for a members only section part of a website and to stop access to certain cgi scripts to anyone but the allowed people.

I've done this with .htaccess and .htpaswrd before on other webspace, does Freeola space allow you to do this or can you suggest a good alternate method?