---
title: Apache Directory Services
...

**WARNING:** *This directory service implementation is experimental,
incomplete and not supported.*

The Apache directory services provide principal information that is read
from configuration files in the [same
formats](http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.3/howto/auth.html) as used by
the [Apache HTTP server](http://httpd.apache.org/), allowing you to
easily share user and group information with an Apache server.

The Apache directory services provide principal information for users
and groups. They do not provide principal information for locations or
resources.

Configuring the Calendar Server
===============================

The full name of the service is either
`twistedcaldav.directory.apache.BasicDirectoryService` or
`twistedcaldav.directory.apache.DigestDirectoryService`. These services
implement [basic and digest HTTP
authentication](http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2617.txt), respectively.

Both services take a `userFile` parameter which contains the name of the
file to read user principal information from and an optional `groupFile`
parameter which contains the name of the file to read group principal
information from.

For example, if you are using digest:

    <!--  Apache-style Digest Directory Service -->
    <key>DirectoryService</key>
    <dict>
      <key>type</key>
      <string>twistedcaldav.directory.apache.DigestDirectoryService</string>

      <key>params</key>
      <dict>
        <key>userFile</key>
        <string>conf/digest</string>
        <key>groupFile</key>
        <string>conf/group</string>
      </dict>
    </dict>

The service re-reads the user and group files if either file's timestamp
changes, so edits to the files do not require a server restart.

Note that basic authentication is highly insecure because it sends
password information in plain text over the network (where is may be
intercepted) and should not be enabled on a server unless all
connections are somehow secured by another means, such as by enabling
SSL and disabling non-SSL connections.

Configuring Principals
======================

In the case of `BasicDirectoryService`, the user file must be in the
form generated by the Apache `htpasswd` command; in the case of
`DigestDirectoryService`, the user file must be in the form generated by
the Apache `htdigest` command.

Both user file formats contain a single entry per line, with fields
separated by the colon (`:`) character. The basic format has two fields,
one containing a user identifier and the second containing the user's
password in the UNIX crypt format. The digest format has three fields: a
user identifier, a realm name, and the user's hashed password.

An example basic user file:

    wsanchez:Cytm0Bwm7CPJs
    cdaboo:I.Ef5FJl5GVh2
    dreid:LVhqAv4qSrYPs
    lecroy:/7/5VDrkrLxY.

And an example digest user file:

    wsanchez:Test:decbe233ab3d997cacc2fc058b19db8c
    cdaboo:Test:61164bf3d607d072fe8a7ac420b24aac
    dreid:Test:8ee67801004b2752f72b84e7064889a6
    lecroy:Test:60d4feb424430953be045738041e51be

The group file is in a similar format, with one entry of colon-separated
field per line. Each line has two fields: a group identifier, and a
comma- (`,`) separated list of user identifiers which identify the
members of the group.

And example group file:

    managers: lecroy
    grunts: wsanchez, cdaboo, dreid
    right_coast: cdaboo
    left_coast: wsanchez, dreid, lecroy

The user files should be edited using the `htpasswd` and `htdigest`
tools. The group file is typically edited by hand.