The .htpasswd file

The .htpasswd file contains a list of usernames and passwords.

Important Note:  There is no correspondence between usernames and
passwords on
specific Unix systems (e.g.  in an /etc/passwd file) and usernames and
passwords in the authentication schemes we're discussing for use in the
Web.
Web-based authentication uses similar but wholly distinct password files;
a
user need never have an actual account on a given Unix system in order to
be
validated for access to files being served from that system and protected
with
HTTP-based authentication.

The .htpasswd file should be placed above your /public_html directory (so
users on other systems won't have access to it).

To create the .htpasswd file, use the htpasswd command with the following
format:

           % htpasswd [-c] .htpasswd {username}


This command line will prompt you for a password for that user.  The
password
that you type will not be echoed onto the screen, and it will be
immediately
encrypted.

The output from this command is a .htpasswd file with an entry with the
form: 

            {user}:{encrypted password}

The -c option creates a new passwd file instead of editing an old one.  So
only
use the -c option the first time the htpasswd command is used.

Finally, make sure that read permissions for this file are set for
everyone 
(ie. owner, group, and other).

So for example you might type:

        % htpasswd -c .htpasswd.listname newuserAdding password for
newuser
        New password: [type something - not shown]
        Re-type new password: {type it again
        
To create a new .htpasswd file for access to your listname archive for
username
newuser. You can distribute this username/password pair to your list ot
create
addition users by typing:

        % htpasswd .htpasswd.listname newuserAdding password for newuser2
        etc.
        
The password file and user names must match the information in your
.htaccess file.

e.g.
        
        AuthUserFile /home/username/.htpasswd.listname
        AuthGroupFile /dev/null
        AuthName ByPassword
        AuthType Basic

        <limit GET>
        require user newuser newuser2
        </limit>