adding support for user authentication within Mapserver for GetCapablities and GetMap

[Gregor Mosheh]

John Mitchell wrote:
> How would I add support for user authentication within Mapserver for 
> GetCapablities and GetMap?

Sean's answer is basially right: You don't. Security is the webserver's 
job, and not Mapserver's. In fact, none of the OGC WxS standards 
supports security; they assume that the webserver has already done such 
things before calling the application.

You would have to password protect the mapserv binary or the cgi-bin 
directory which houses it, not just the one app nor just those functions 
or layers.

I have often wondered why the OGC standards left out such a basic 
concept as access control. Mysteries of the universe.

-- 
Gregor Mosheh / Greg Allensworth
System Administrator, HostGIS cartographic development & hosting services
http://www.HostGIS.com/

"Remember that no one cares if you can back up,
  only if you can restore." - AMANDA