# htpasswd(1) - man - phpman > **TLDR:** Create and manage htpasswd files to protect web server directories using basic authentication. > - Create/overwrite htpasswd file: `htpasswd -c {{path/to/file}} {{username}}` - Add user to htpasswd file or update existing user: `htpasswd {{path/to/file}} {{username}}` - Add user to htpasswd file in batch mode without an interactive password prompt (for script usage): `htpasswd -b {{path/to/file}} {{username}} {{password}}` - Delete user from htpasswd file: `htpasswd -D {{path/to/file}} {{username}}` - Verify user password: `htpasswd -v {{path/to/file}} {{username}}` - Display a string with username (plain text) and password (md5): `htpasswd -nbm {{username}} {{password}}` *Source: tldr-pages* --- [HTPASSWD(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/HTPASSWD/1/markdown) htpasswd [HTPASSWD(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/HTPASSWD/1/markdown) ## NAME htpasswd - Manage user files for basic authentication ## SYNOPSIS **htpasswd** [ -**c** ] [ -**i** ] [ -**m** | -**B** | -**d** | -**s** | -**p** ] [ -**C** _cost_ ] [ -**D** ] [ -**v** ] _passwdfile_ _user__‐ _name_ **htpasswd** -**b** [ -**c** ] [ -**m** | -**B** | -**d** | -**s** | -**p** ] [ -**C** _cost_ ] [ -**D** ] [ -**v** ] _passwdfile_ _username_ _password_ **htpasswd** -**n** [ -**i** ] [ -**m** | -**B** | -**d** | -**s** | -**p** ] [ -**C** _cost_ ] _username_ **htpasswd** -**nb** [ -**m** | -**B** | -**d** | -**s** | -**p** ] [ -**C** _cost_ ] _username_ _password_ ## SUMMARY **htpasswd** is used to create and update the flat-files used to store usernames and password for basic authentication of HTTP users. If **htpasswd** cannot access a file, such as not being able to write to the output file or not being able to read the file in order to update it, it re‐ turns an error status and makes no changes. Resources available from the Apache HTTP server can be restricted to just the users listed in the files created by **htpasswd**. This program can only manage usernames and passwords stored in a flat-file. It can encrypt and display password information for use in other types of data stores, though. To use a DBM database see dbmmanage or htdbm. **htpasswd** encrypts passwords using either bcrypt, a version of MD5 modified for Apache, SHA1, or the system's **crypt()** routine. Files managed by **htpasswd** may contain a mixture of different encoding types of passwords; some user records may have bcrypt or MD5-encrypted passwords while others in the same file may have passwords encrypted with **crypt()**. This manual page only lists the command line arguments. For details of the directives neces‐ sary to configure user authentication in httpd see the Apache manual, which is part of the Apache distribution or can be found at . ## OPTIONS ### -b it. This option should be used with extreme care, since **the** **password** **is** **clearly** **visi**‐‐ **ble** on the command line. For script use see the **-i** option. Available in 2.4.4 and later. ### -i ### -c This option cannot be combined with the **-n** option. ### -n generating password records acceptable to Apache for inclusion in non-text data stores. This option changes the syntax of the command line, since the _passwdfile_ argu‐ ment (usually the first one) is omitted. It cannot be combined with the **-c** option. ### -m ### -B ### -C -B puting time used for the bcrypt algorithm (higher is more secure but slower, default: 5, valid: 4 to 17). ### -d Windows and Netware. This algorithm limits the password length to 8 characters. This algorithm is **insecure** by today's standards. It used to be the default algorithm until version 2.2.17. ### -s the LDAP Directory Interchange Format (ldif). This algorithm is **insecure** by today's standards. ### -p httpd daemon will only accept plain text passwords on Windows and Netware. ### -D deleted. ### -v stored in the specified htpasswd file. Available in 2.4.5 and later. _passwdfile_ Name of the file to contain the user name and password. If **-c** is given, this file is created if it does not already exist, or rewritten and truncated 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 file. Only used with the **-b** flag. ## EXIT STATUS **htpasswd** returns a zero status ("true") if the username and password have been successfully added or updated in the _passwdfile_. **htpasswd** returns **1** if it encounters some problem access‐ ing files, **2** if there was a syntax problem with the command line, **3** if the password was en‐ tered interactively and the verification entry didn't match, **4** if its operation was inter‐ rupted, **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 password file. ## EXAMPLES htpasswd /usr/local/etc/apache/.htpasswd-users jsmith Adds or modifies the password for user **jsmith**. The user is prompted for the password. The password will be encrypted using the modified Apache MD5 algorithm. If the file does not ex‐ ist, **htpasswd** will do nothing except return an error. htpasswd -c /home/doe/public_html/.htpasswd 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 **htpasswd** will display a message and return an error status. htpasswd -db /usr/web/.htpasswd-all jones Pwd4Steve Encrypts the password from the command line (**Pwd4Steve**) using the **crypt()** algorithm, and stores it in the specified file. ## SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS Web password files such as those managed by **htpasswd** should _not_ be within the Web server's URI space -- that is, they should not be fetchable with a browser. This program is not safe as a setuid executable. Do _not_ make it setuid. The use of the **-b** option is discouraged, since when it is used the unencrypted password ap‐ pears on the command line. When using the **crypt()** algorithm, note that only the first 8 characters of the password are used to form the password. If the supplied password is longer, the extra characters will be silently discarded. The SHA encryption format does not use salting: for a given password, there is only one en‐ crypted representation. The **crypt()** and MD5 formats permute the representation by prepending a random salt string, to make dictionary attacks against the passwords more difficult. The SHA and **crypt()** formats are insecure by today's standards. ## RESTRICTIONS On the Windows platform, passwords encrypted with **htpasswd** are limited to no more than **255** characters in length. Longer passwords will be truncated to 255 characters. The MD5 algorithm used by **htpasswd** 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 **:**. The cost of computing a bcrypt password hash value increases with the number of rounds speci‐ fied by the **-C** option. The **apr-util** library enforces a maximum number of rounds of 17 in ver‐ sion **1.6.0** and later. Apache HTTP Server 2019-08-09 [HTPASSWD(1)](https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/HTPASSWD/1/markdown)