The file `` access.conf'' allows you to enable access control on your server. By default, any files in the WWW server's directory subtree are accessible.
For instance, a fairly open server with one directory only accessible by people at UCL may have the `` access.conf'' file:
<Directory /www/htdocs>
<Limit GET>
order allow,deny
allow from all
</Limit>
</Directory>
<Directory /www/htdocs/people/secure>
<Limit GET>
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from .ucl.ac.uk
</Limit>
</Directory>
The file consists of a sequence of <Directory> entries. Each directory entry controls access to the file system subtree rooted at that directory. Each directory entry can also contain access limitations for the different HTTP access methods using the `` Limit'' command. The basic form of access control for each method consists of a list of `` allow'' and `` deny'' entries and, optionally, a set of `` require'' entries for password authorisation. You can allow or deny individual hosts, domains, even countries. For instance the directory `` /www/htdocs/people/secure'' above is only visible to people whose domain matches `` .ucl.ac.uk''. This would therefore allow `` speedy.cs.ucl.ac.uk'' to access the directory, but not `` rodent.jnt.ac.uk''. If two entries (other than the default) match and contradict each other, the order command says which one of the two rules, deny or allow, is applied.