Topic: Simple yet effective password protection?

[Storm Dragon]

Thanks to this forum, my website if finally live!

www.stormdragonproductions.com

...albeit completely empty

I was wondering if there's a simple way of setting up login/password protected sections, such as having "public" and "members only" links on the home page, a la, *ahem* adult websites...

I've read something about using .htaccess files in the directories you want to secure, and creating passwords with htpasswd. I'm using /home/e-smith/files/primary/html for my main page, and would like to secure stuff under, say /html/secure/. I've tried following advice on
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/howto/auth.html#basicworks
but I'm lost!

As usual, any help is welcome!

[Storm Dragon]

Also, I can't access my iBays thru www... did I miss something? I should be able to see them as http://www.stormdragonproductions.com/ibaynamehere, right? I can only get in thru ftp

[John A]

I have just completed setting up an Intranet Site on SME 5.6.

This is what I did (I am a newbie so will stand correction).

I put my primary in /home/e-smith/files/primary/html

then I created an ibay and with the following information

information bay name  secureweb
description secureweb (yes the same)
group everyone
user access etc "Write group " , "Read Everyone"
public access "local network - password required"
Execution of dynamic etc "Yes"

Then you should create the virtual domain  

domain name: "secureweb.com.au"
brief description "Secure Web Site"
Content: "secureweb" (this is the Ibay)

On my intranet site (which I used frames) I have a link in the left frame it says Secure Web and the link is http://www.secureweb.com.au when you click the link the password dialog box appears. the user name is the name of the ibay (secureweb) and the password is what ever you set.

I have not tried this on an internet site, I would have to think about getting to the secure site... see how you go and If you would like a sample of mine then e-mail me.

John A

[Storm Dragon]

Hmm... nope
Won't work.

[Jesper Holck]

You have to consider which usernames/passwords you want to use. Should access to the secure site be restricted to (some) users on your server, using their usual usernames and passwords, or do you want to control access via a new set of usernames/passwords? Also you might need to consider how strictly you want to control access to the secure site.

[John A]

What do you mean  "nope .... won't work"

Have you tried it or do you just think it won't work. As I said I have it running on an Intranet site

John A

[Storm Dragon]

Sorry, I should've typed "nope... didn't work". Brain fart on my part :S

[Storm Dragon]

On the intranet, it's always been OK, passwords work all the time. Now that I'm on the web, I can't access my iBays from www or anything else (I've even tried bypassing the domain and going straight to my IP). I can only get into the iBays or user accounts by putty or FTP.