Slackware HowTo

Configure Apache Basic Auth on Slackware

Quickly protect restricted areas without introducing a full authentication system.

1. When to use it

Useful for technical folders, internal panels, or temporary tests where a simple explicit barrier is enough.

apache | basic auth | htpasswd | directory | access control

2. Base setup

htpasswd -c /etc/httpd/.htpasswd admin
cat >> /etc/httpd/httpd.conf <<'EOF'
<Directory "/srv/httpd/secure">
  AuthType Basic
  AuthName "Restricted"
  AuthUserFile /etc/httpd/.htpasswd
  Require valid-user
</Directory>
EOF
apachectl configtest

Adjust host names, IPs, interfaces, paths, and versions to the real system before making the change persistent.

3. Quick verification

curl -I http://127.0.0.1/secure/
curl -u admin:password -I http://127.0.0.1/secure/
grep -n 'AuthType Basic' /etc/httpd/httpd.conf

Confirm that the output matches the expected state before considering the intervention complete.

4. Operational notes

Basic Auth without HTTPS exposes recoverable credentials: use it only behind TLS or inside a lab.

Quick checklist

[ ] Steps completed\n[ ] Config updated\n[ ] Tests executed\n[ ] Rollback ready\n[ ] Logs checked

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