iTP Secure WebServer System Administrators Guide (Version 7.5+)

User
Syntax
User user-name
Description
Use the User directive to specify the OSSuser name that the server is to run under. This directive
is effective only if the server is started as root (super-super). If the server is started as other than
super ID, the server sends a warning message.
The argument user-name must be a valid user name on the system hosting the server. For security
reasons, you should create an account other than super ID specifically for your server to run under.
For more information about creating a user name, see your system administrator or your system
documentation.
Only one User directive is allowed in the configuration file.
Default
None. If you do not set the User directive, the server runs under the user name that starts the
server.
Example
User httpd
NOTE: Only httpd processes are switched by the User directive. Consequently, httpd processes
might encounter a Pathsend error 904 when communicating with the Pathway or generic-CGI
server if the application server's security value is not set correctly. To avoid this problem, be sure
that you configure the Pathway or generic-CGI server to use the appropriate security values. For
information about security values, see “Server” (page 247). For information about Pathsend error
904, see the NonStop TS/MP Pathsend and Server Programming Manual.
UserDir
Syntax
UserDir [-symlink-disable] [-symlink-owner] user-dir
Description
Set the UserDir directive to the name of theuser directory (user-dir) that is to be accessed
whenever a URL begins with a tilde (~). When UserDir is set, any access to aURL beginning with
a tilde (~) is mapped to the specifieddirectory within the indicated local user's home directory.
The options include the following:
-symlink-disable
This option disables symbolic links to files in the specified directory. As a result, the
iTP Secure WebServer returns "not found" in response to any attempt to access a
path that contains a symbolic link.
-symlink-owner
This option is similar in function to the -symlink-disable option: it also disables
symbolic links, but only if these symbolic links are owned by someone other than
the owner of the files to which the symbolic links point.
This directive also has a corresponding Region command, which if found within a region, overrides
this directive. For further information about using the UserDir command in a Region directive,
see “Region Commands” (page 234).
For example, if UserDir is set to hypertext, and a Web client accesses the URL
258 Configuration Directives