How to Set Up HTTP Basic Authentication on Localhost:8080 Nginx on Mac

Problem

HTTP Basic Authentication is a simple yet effective way to secure access to web resources by requiring a username and password. This guide will help you set up HTTP Basic Authentication on an Nginx server running on localhost:8080 on a Mac.

Solution

1. Step 1: Install Nginx and Apache Utils

   If you haven't installed Nginx, use Homebrew to install it:

   brew install nginx

   Apache Utils provides the htpasswd utility required to create password files:

   brew install apache2-utils

2. Step 2: Create a Password File

   Use the htpasswd utility to create a password file:

   sudo htpasswd -c /usr/local/etc/nginx/.htpasswd username

   To add more users, run the following command without the -c flag:

   sudo htpasswd /usr/local/etc/nginx/.htpasswd additionaluser

3. Step 3: Configure Nginx

   Edit the Nginx configuration file to include the authentication directives:

   sudo nano /usr/local/etc/nginx/nginx.conf

   Add the following lines inside the http block, within the server block that listens on port 8080:

   server {
       listen 8080;
       server_name localhost;
   
       location / {
           auth_basic "Restricted Area";
           auth_basic_user_file /usr/local/etc/nginx/.htpasswd;
   
           root   html;
           index  index.html index.htm;
       }
   }

4. Step 4: Test the Configuration

   Check the Nginx configuration for syntax errors:

   sudo nginx -t

   If the syntax is correct, restart Nginx to apply the changes:

   sudo nginx -s reload

To start httpd now and restart at login: brew services start httpd Or, if you don't want/need a background service you can just run: /usr/local/opt/httpd/bin/httpd -D FOREGROUND