Answer: How to negate regular expressions in FilesMatch/.htaccess

[nf...@vsol.net]

Hi!

I wanted to have a directory where all files are password protected
except for a couple.

I spent quite a bit of time looking for something that would look like:

  <FilesMatch ! "public_access.cgi">
  require valid-user
  </FilesMatch>

or:

  <Files !~ "public_access.cgi">
  require valid-user
  </Files>

It can't be done that way, as far as I can tell, but I did come up with a
workaround:

  AuthUserFile .htpasswd
  AuthGroupFile /dev/null
  AuthName "Staff"
  AuthType Basic

  <Files "*">
  require valid-user
  </Files>

  <FilesMatch "^(public_access|passwd|mailcfg|viewmailcfg).cgi$">
  Allow from all
  Satisfy any
  </FilesMatch>

Note, this example is the .htaccess file in that directory.

Just thought I'd share it, so that I can find it when I use
Google to go looking for these keywords again.  :-)

Keywords:
Negative regular expressions, negating regular expressions, Apache,
excluding matches, excluding files, access, authentication.

--
N Fudd -- nfudd@vsol.net
  This is a crisis. A large crisis. In fact, if you've got a moment,
  it's a twelve storey crisis with a magnificent entrance hall,
  carpeting throughout, twenty-four hour service and an enormous sign
  on the roof saying `THIS IS A LARGE CRISIS'.
					      Captain Edmund BlackAdder


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Re: Answer: How to negate regular expressions in FilesMatch/.htaccess

[nf...@vsol.net]

On Fri, 14 Dec 2001, darren chamberlain wrote:

> nfudd@vsol.net <nf...@vsol.net> said something to this effect on 12/13/2001:
> > I wanted to have a directory where all files are password
> > protected except for a couple.
>
> I think you're our of luck.  A few times in the past, I've lost a
> lot of hours trying to figure this out, and nothing ever came of
> it.
>
> BTW, my solution ended up being to install mod_perl and define
> the Location directives using Perl syntax.

Actually, I found a way; that was what was posted.  I'm sure it could
be simplified, but I was posting a questionless answer.

--
N Fudd -- nfudd@vsol.net
In a free and open marketplace, it would be surprising to have such an
obviously flawed standard generate much enthusiasm outside of the criminal
community.  --Mitch Stone on Microsoft ActiveX


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Re: Answer: How to negate regular expressions in FilesMatch/.htaccess

[darren chamberlain <dl...@users.sourceforge.net>]

nfudd@vsol.net <nf...@vsol.net> said something to this effect on 12/13/2001:
> I wanted to have a directory where all files are password
> protected except for a couple.

I think you're our of luck.  A few times in the past, I've lost a
lot of hours trying to figure this out, and nothing ever came of
it.

BTW, my solution ended up being to install mod_perl and define
the Location directives using Perl syntax.

(darren)

-- 
People who are willing to give up freedom for the sake of short
term security, deserve neither freedom nor security.
    -- Ben Franklin

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