Question

The error : [Fri May 28 08:13:40 2004] [error] (25)Inappropriate ioctl for device: access to /bin/edit/Main/WebHome failed for 82.68.164.19, reason: Authentication fail ure

Occurs after authentication a user. since i have tried a variety of passwords and user names, and have double checked the file permissions.

in brief heres the overview of the setup.

Debian : Woody 2.4.18bf24 Apache : 1.3.26 Installdirs: /var/www/butlershouse.co.uk/[lib|templates] /var/local/wiki/butlershouse.co.uk/[bin|data|pub] Permissions:

-rwxrwxrwx 1 www-data www-data 1842 Feb 2 2003 /var/local/wiki/butlershouse/data/Main/WebHome.txt

My apache config [ edited ] Redirect /index.html http://butlershouse.co.uk/bin/view

Alias /bin /var/local/wiki/butlershouse/bin/

ScriptAlias /bin/ /var/local/wiki/butlershouse/bin/

alias /pub/ /var/local/wiki/butlershouse/pub/

alias /data/ /var/local/wiki/butlershouse/data/

Options +ExecCGI

Allow from all

AllowOverride All

SetHandler cgi-script

AuthUserFile /var/local/wiki/butlershouse/data/.htpasswd

AuthName 'Enter your WikiName: (First name and last name, no space, no dots, capitalized, e.g. JohnSmith). Cancel to register if you do not have one.'

AuthType Basic

# File to return on access control error (e.g. wrong password)

# The path here must be a URL path, not a file pathname - first part should

# match the $scriptUrlPath in TWiki.cfg

ErrorDocument 401 /bin/oops/TWiki/TWikiRegistration?template=oopsauth

[... mostly content of htaccess ! ...]

Updates....

Okay so someone mentioned that maybe apache was not having suitable rights to access the htpasswd file. so I moved it to /var/www/butlershouse.co.uk and i set it to chmod 664 !

Meanwhile I notice the following: if I tail auth.log and butlershouse.co.uk.error.log

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.access.log < 82.68.164.20 - nik [29/May/2004:19:01:29 +0100] "GET /bin/edit/Main/WebHome?t=1085853486 HTTP/1.1" 401 2402 82.68.164.20 - nik [29/May/2004:19:01:36 +0100] "GET /bin/edit/Main/WebHome?t=1085853486 HTTP/1.1" 401 2402

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.error.log < [Sat May 29 19:01:35 2004] [error] (25)Inappropriate ioctl for device: access to /bin/edit/Main/WebHome failed for 82.68.164.20, reason: Authentication failure

> /var/log/auth.log < May 29 19:01:33 lilpuppy last message repeated 2 times May 29 19:01:42 lilpuppy PAM_unix[27587]: authentication failure; (uid=33) -> *unknown* for httpd service

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.access.log < 82.68.164.20 - NikButler [29/May/2004:19:01:44 +0100] "GET /bin/edit/Main/WebHome?t=1085853486 HTTP/1.1" 401 2402

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.error.log < [Sat May 29 19:01:44 2004] [error] (25)Inappropriate ioctl for device: access to /bin/edit/Main/WebHome failed for 82.68.164.20, reason: Authentication failure

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.access.log < 82.68.164.20 - - [29/May/2004:19:01:46 +0100] "GET /pub/TWiki/TWikiLogos/twikiRobot46x50.gif HTTP/1.1" 304 -

Since I use the name NIK as a uid ... i wondered what happened if i entered that

> /var/log/auth.log < May 29 19:04:23 lilpuppy PAM_unix[27593]: authentication failure; (uid=33) -> nik for httpd service

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.error.log < [Sat May 29 19:04:26 2004] [error] (25)Inappropriate ioctl for device: access to /bin/edit/Main/WebHome failed for 82.68.164.20, reason: Authentication failure

> /var/log/apache/butlershouse.co.uk.access.log < 82.68.164.20 - nik [29/May/2004:19:04:26 +0100] "GET /bin/edit/Main/WebHome?t=1085853486 HTTP/1.1" 401 2402

Well im stumped !

still

Environment

-- NikButler - 29 May 2004

Answer

So I sat and wondered why http was parsing to pam .... and looking back I realised that I had enabled PAM support for another project. so in removing pam from the apacht configuration pam_auth_module /usr/lib/apache/1.3/mod_auth_pam.so

restarting apache and attempting a login .... ! it worked.

So this leaves the next question... if not already asked...

Using PAM with Twiki !