[mod_python] mod_python session/form based user authentication

Hi Graeme

Thanks for the feedback. The issue I've been stuck with ( for 3 months now)
is how to prevent the "browser pop-up"  user/password dialog box.
I've tried so many combinations, but every time I have "AuthType
Basic/Require valid-user" set, the browser pops up the login dialog box but
I want
"html form login/authentication"

req.user = "nobody" was set as a place holder because without it I get:
  [ req->user is NULL. Assign something to req.user if returning OK to avoid
this error ]

I've just tried the following:
AuthType session
AuthName "members"
Require valid-session

...and it works......but only if I "set req.user = nobody" as a temp place
holder...or I get the req->user is NULL error


I'll admit I don't have a clue....I got this far by trial and error, which
is not very efficient.....I'm waiting for your book ...hint hint :))

Is there a secret to prevent the "browser password pop-up box" and redirect
to a html login page? I've spent 3 months
googling and can't find a simple example.

Thanks again
Bruce













On Sun, Mar 29, 2009 at 11:23 PM, Graham Dumpleton <
graham.dumpleton at gmail.com> wrote:

> 2009/3/29 bruce bushby <bruce.bushby at googlemail.com>:
> > Hi
> >
> > I've been struggling to implement form based user authentication for some
> > time now so I'm posting my progress in the hope that
> > more experienced members will comment and any new starters will save
> > themselves some time.
> >
> > A big thanks to John Calixto for getting back to me and suggesting
> "AuthType
> > wgtiauth" and "Require wgti-user"
> >
> >
> > The example works as follows:
> > - Attempt to access the protected area gets intercepted by authenhandler,
> if
> > not authorized redirect to login, if login successful, continue to
> original
> > url.
> >
> > ...
> >
> > def authenhandler(req):
> >         req.user = "nobody"
> >         req.session = Session.DbmSession(req)
> >
> >         if req.session.is_new():
> >                 req.session['referer'] = "http://mysite" +
> req.unparsed_uri
> >                 req.session.save()
> >                 util.redirect(req,"http://mysite/login")
> >
> >         if req.session.has_key('authstatus') and
> req.session['authstatus']
> > == "authenticated":
> >                 return apache.OK
> >
> >         return apache.HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED
>
> Technically this is incorrect/incomplete.
>
> 1. An authentication handler should be checking whether it is the
> handler that should run for the AuthType used. Thus should have the
> following check as first thing done:
>
>  if req.auth_type() != 'wgtiauth':
>    return apache.DECLINED
>
> 2. If the authentication handler successfully authenticated user, only
> then should it be setting req.user. It should not be doing it all the
> time even if authentication failed. It is not technically a good idea
> to be setting it to 'nobody' and it should really be the actual user
> name. That way you can then use other Apache directives such as
> 'Require user'.
>
> 3. If the authentication handler was successful, it should be setting
> req.ap_auth_type to be the authentication type.
>
>  req.ap_auth_type = req.auth_type()
>
> > def authzhandler(req):
> >         if req.user:
> >                 return apache.OK
> >
> >         return apache.HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED
>
> Your whole authorisation handler is not needed, so get rid of:
>
>                Require wgti-user
>                PythonAuthzHandler authsession
>
> and replace it with:
>
>                Require valid-user
>
> As I said before though, you should only be setting req.user if user
> authenticated properly.
>
> Graham
>
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