Authentication bridge to Apache htuser and htgroups

[DisasterArea]

Hallo Joomla's,

I do not know, if this is the right place for my question, because it has something to do with security and with user authentication as well.
We all know, that Joomla 1.6th milestone is the advanced ACL, where you can manage your own groups and permissions. So far, so good.

This works for normal text content, but if you add some donwloads (i.e. PDF Files, pictures, OpenOffice Sheets and so on) or want to use some pictures of yourself or your last party in a closed area for friends only, this pictures or content could be found by search engines or if a user posts the link to someone.

Most ISPs, where the sides from Joomla Users are hosted, allow there users to add .htaccess and .htuser / .htgoups files to manage those security issues. But when you use this, friends ore some other kind of registered users first have to login in Joomla and then have to login using there Apache "htuser" account.

So is there a way to combine Joomla ACL Groups and users with this Apache htusers and htgroups and to implement a single sign on (SSO)? Exist somewhere a Modul / Component that works like a Apache - Joomla Bridge?

[mcsmom]

Right now that isn't coded in the core but it definitely can be coded (and would be a great addition). I'm pretty sure that if you look in the JED you will find some extensions that are already doing this.

[DisasterArea]

Hallo and thanks for your reply.

It's a shame, that it isn't coded. You are right, there are a lot of extensions trying to deal with users, groups and permission or other extensions building a bridge between Joomla and LDAP or other systems. It's a shame as well, that a lot of these extensions are not jet market for Joomla 1.6.

What about the jAuthTool or jFusion? Are they able to deal with Apache htusers? Are they combatible with 1.6 (they are not marked as "1.6 native" right now)

Where should I go to add an "Authentication bridge to Apache htusers and groups" as a feature request to the Joomla coding team?

[mcsmom]

YOu can make an authentication plugin if you want. There is an authentication plugin example in the plugins.

To add a feature request for someone else to do go to http://ideas.joomla.org.
If you want to code it add it to the feature tracker on joomlacode.

[DisasterArea]

Ok so far. I'm am working as a software developer and DBA the hole day and I think I am able to code this, but in my spare time, I want to use Joomla, not code, test, debug and document it.

So first of all let us get an idea about "Am I the only one, who needs this feature, or are there others, who needs this?"

So I added the idea about this authentication bridge and you can vote for it here: http://ideas.joomla.org/forums/84261-jo ... ?ref=title

If you feel, you need this feature as well, vote for it, please!

More postings here are wellcome as well.