Module mod_auth_anon

Summary

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.

Directives / Example / Compile time options / RevisionHistory / Person to blame / Sourcecode

Directives

• Anonymous
• Anonymous_Authoritative
• Anonymous_LogEmail
• Anonymous_MustGiveEmail
• Anonymous_NoUserID
• Anonymous_VerifyEmail

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.
I strongly suggest 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 userId's 'anonymous', 'AnonyMous','Not Registered' and 'I Don't Know'.

When set 'on', there is no fall-through to other authorization methods. So if a userID does not match the values specified in the Anonymous directive, access is denied.

Be sure you know what you are doing when you decide to switch it on. And remember that it is the linking order of the modules (in the Configuration / Make file) which details the order in which the Authorization modules are queried.

When set 'on', the default, the 'password' entered (which hopefully contains a sensible email address) is logged in the httpd-log file.

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

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.

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 Auth_LogEmail).

• 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, ie. 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. <directory /web/docs/public>
• And the Email addresses entered in the passswd field are logged to the httpd-log file (Anonymous_LogEmail)

Excerpt of access.conf:

Anonymous anonymous guest www test welcome

Anonymous_MustGiveEmail on
Anonymous_VerifyEmail on
Anonymous_NoUserId off
Anonymous_LogEmail on

AuthName Use 'anonymous' & Email address for guest entry
AuthType basic

Normal Apache/NCSA tokens for access control

<limit get post head>
order deny,allow
allow from all

require valid-user
<limit>

Compile Time Options

Revision History

Version 0.4

First release

Version 0.5

Added 'VerifyEmail' and 'LogEmail' options. Multiple 'anonymous' tokens allowed. more docs. Added Authoritative functionality.

Contact/person to blame

Sourcecode