Restricting read and write access to topics and webs, by users and groups
TWiki allows you to define restrictions of who is allowed to view a TWiki web, make changes to topics or attach files.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Think twice before restricting read or write access to a web or a topic, because an open system where everybody can contribute is the essence of the WikiCulture. Experience shows that unrestricted write access works very well because:
Access control is based on users and groups.
A user is created by with the TWikiRegistration form. The process generates a topic in the Main web in the new user's WikiName. The default visitor name is TWikiGuest.
Groups are defined by group topics in the Main web, like the TWikiAdminGroup.
- Set GROUP = < list of users and groups >
- Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = < list of users and groups >
* Set GROUP = Main.SomeUser, Main.OtherUser, Main.SomeOtherGroup
* Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = Main.TWikiAdminGroup
You can define restrictions of who is allowed to make changes to a topic or attach files to it.
Define one or both of these variables in a topic, preferably at the end of the topic:
DENYTOPICCHANGE defines users or groups that are not allowed to make changes to the topic. It is a comma delimited list of users and groups. Example:
* Set DENYTOPICCHANGE = Main.SomeBadBoy, Main.SomeBadGirl, Main.SomeHackerGroup
ALLOWTOPICCHANGE defines users or groups that are allowed to make changes to the topic. It is a comma delimited list of users and groups. Example:
* Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = Main.SomeGoodGuy, Main.SomeGoodGirl, Main.TWikiAdminGroup
DENYTOPICCHANGE is evaluated before ALLOWTOPICCHANGE. Access is denied if the authenticated person is in the DENYTOPICCHANGE list, or not in the ALLOWTOPICCHANGE list. Access is granted in case DENYTOPICCHANGE and ALLOWTOPICCHANGE is not defined.
You can define restrictions of who is allowed to make changes to a TWiki web. This includes creating new topics, changing topics or attaching files.
Define one or both of these variable in the WebPreferences topic:
The same rules apply like the one for Access Control for Individual Topics; with these additions:
You can define restrictions of who is allowed to rename a topic. Note that users need this permission in addition to the CHANGE permission in order to rename a topic. They also need CHANGE access to change references in referring topics.
Define one or both of these variables in a topic, preferably at the end of the topic:
DENYTOPICCRENAME defines users or groups that are not allowed to rename the topic. It is a comma delimited list of users and groups. Example:
* Set DENYTOPICRENAME = Main.SomeBadBoy, Main.SomeBadGirl, Main.SomeHackerGroup
ALLOWTOPICRENAME defines users or groups that are allowed to rename the topic. It is a comma delimited list of users and groups. Example:
* Set ALLOWTOPICRENAME = Main.SomeGoodGuy, Main.SomeGoodGirl, Main.TWikiAdminGroup
DENYTOPICRENAME is evaluated before ALLOWTOPICRENAME. Access is denied if the authenticated person is in the DENYTOPICRENAME list, or not in the ALLOWTOPICRENAME list. Access is granted in case DENYTOPICRENAME and ALLOWTOPICRENAME is not defined.
You can define restrictions of who is allowed to do renames for a TWiki web.
Define one or both of these variable in the WebPreferences topic:
The same rules apply like the one for Access Control for Individual Topics; with these additions:
You can define restrictions of who is allowed to view a TWiki web.
Define one or both of these variable in the WebPreferences topic:
.htaccess
file.
view
script non-authenticated in the .htaccess
file.
$doRememberRemoteUser
flag in lib/wikicfg.pm
as described in User Authentication. TWiki will now remember the IP address of an authenticated user.
view
script to viewauth
(or better, create a symbolic link)
viewauth
to the list of authenticated scripts in the .htaccess file.
view
script to the viewauth
script once (this happens only if the user has never edited a topic). Doing so will ask for authentication. The viewauth
script shows the requested topic if the user could log on and if the user is authorized to see that web.
NOSEARCHALL
variable in its WebPreferences, like:
The above schema can lock completely a topic in case of a typing error of the ALLOWTOPICCHANGE setting (see UnchangeableTopicBug for more detail). To avoid this:
$superAdminGroup
variable in lib/TWiki.cfg
to the name of a group of users that are always allowed to edit/view topics.
$superAdminGroup = "TWikiAdminGroup";
-- PeterThoeny - 16 Mar 2001
-- AndreaSterbini - 11 Apr 2001
Related topics: TWikiPreferences, WebPreferences (in every web), TWikiAdminGroup, TWikiGroups