Just received this reply from my ISP regarding not being able to password-protect my /admin directory.
==================================
Dear Mr. Bradford,
Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I had to do some research in some documents about the apache server and cgi stuff. What I have discovered is that:
1. to allow everyone to have their own cgi scripts in their own home cgi-bin directories, and still have sufficient security on the system, PE.net is using a package called CGIwrap. Using this package, you cannot password protect a single user's script, because the authentication logic already happens before you get to that point. Thus, you must either password protect everyone's scripts (ugh), or no one's.
2. You may be able to achieve the same effect by having some code at the top of your script send the same http protocol messages that the server sends to protect a document. I'll need to experiment with this approach a little bit to see if its viable. Will get
back to you with what I find out.
3. You also may be able to get there by pointing your browser to a very short .html file which simply redirects to a URL which is a CGI script. You then should be able to password protect the html file. I'll experiment with this approach also, and let you know what I find out.
Sorry to have to be the one to bring you bad news...
===============================
Anyone have an easy work-around for this problem???
Thank you,
- Clint Bradford
==================================
Dear Mr. Bradford,
Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I had to do some research in some documents about the apache server and cgi stuff. What I have discovered is that:
1. to allow everyone to have their own cgi scripts in their own home cgi-bin directories, and still have sufficient security on the system, PE.net is using a package called CGIwrap. Using this package, you cannot password protect a single user's script, because the authentication logic already happens before you get to that point. Thus, you must either password protect everyone's scripts (ugh), or no one's.
2. You may be able to achieve the same effect by having some code at the top of your script send the same http protocol messages that the server sends to protect a document. I'll need to experiment with this approach a little bit to see if its viable. Will get
back to you with what I find out.
3. You also may be able to get there by pointing your browser to a very short .html file which simply redirects to a URL which is a CGI script. You then should be able to password protect the html file. I'll experiment with this approach also, and let you know what I find out.
Sorry to have to be the one to bring you bad news...
===============================
Anyone have an easy work-around for this problem???
Thank you,
- Clint Bradford
Cannot Password Protect ADMIN Dir