How to Set Up HTTP Basic Authentication in Nginx

Problem

HTTP Basic Authentication is a simple authentication mechanism built into the HTTP protocol. It requires users to provide a username and password to access certain resources. This guide will walk you through setting up HTTP Basic Authentication in Nginx to secure your web applications.

Solution

1. Step 1: Install the Apache Utils Package

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install apache2-utils

   sudo yum install httpd-tools

2. Step 2: Create a Password File

   sudo htpasswd -c /etc/nginx/.htpasswd username
   sudo htpasswd /etc/nginx/.htpasswd additionaluser

3. Step 3: Configure Nginx to Use the Password File

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name your_domain.com;
   
       location / {
           auth_basic "Restricted Area";
           auth_basic_user_file /etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
           
           proxy_pass http://your_backend_server;
           proxy_set_header Host $host;
           proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
           proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
           proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
       }
   }

4. Step 4: Test the Configuration

   sudo nginx -t
   sudo systemctl reload nginx