mod_userdir User-specific directories Base mod_userdir.c userdir_module

This module allows user-specific directories to be accessed using the http://example.com/~user/ syntax.

 Mapping URLs to the Filesystem public_html tutorial UserDir Location of the user-specific directories UserDir directory-filename [directory-filename] ... server config virtual host

The UserDir directive sets the real directory in a user's home directory to use when a request for a document for a user is received. Directory-filename is one of the following:

  • The name of a directory or a pattern such as those shown below.
  • The keyword disabled. This turns off all username-to-directory translations except those explicitly named with the enabled keyword (see below).
  • The keyword disabled followed by a space-delimited list of usernames. Usernames that appear in such a list will never have directory translation performed, even if they appear in an enabled clause.
  • The keyword enabled followed by a space-delimited list of usernames. These usernames will have directory translation performed even if a global disable is in effect, but not if they also appear in a disabled clause.

If neither the enabled nor the disabled keywords appear in the Userdir directive, the argument is treated as a filename pattern, and is used to turn the name into a directory specification. A request for http://www.example.com/~bob/one/two.html will be translated to:

UserDir directive used Translated path
UserDir public_html ~bob/public_html/one/two.html
UserDir /usr/web /usr/web/bob/one/two.html
UserDir /home/*/www /home/bob/www/one/two.html

The following directives will send redirects to the client:

UserDir directive used Translated path
UserDir http://www.example.com/users http://www.example.com/users/bob/one/two.html
UserDir http://www.example.com/*/usr http://www.example.com/bob/usr/one/two.html
UserDir http://www.example.com/~*/ http://www.example.com/~bob/one/two.html
Be careful when using this directive; for instance, "UserDir ./" would map "/~root" to "/" - which is probably undesirable. It is strongly recommended that your configuration include a "UserDir disabled root" declaration. See also the Directory directive and the Security Tips page for more information.

Additional examples:

To allow a few users to have UserDir directories, but not anyone else, use the following:

UserDir disabled
UserDir enabled user1 user2 user3

To allow most users to have UserDir directories, but deny this to a few, use the following:

UserDir disabled user4 user5 user6

It is also possible to specify alternative user directories. If you use a command like:

Userdir public_html /usr/web http://www.example.com/

With a request for http://www.example.com/~bob/one/two.html, will try to find the page at ~bob/public_html/one/two.html first, then /usr/web/bob/one/two.html, and finally it will send a redirect to http://www.example.com/bob/one/two.html.

If you add a redirect, it must be the last alternative in the list. Apache httpd cannot determine if the redirect succeeded or not, so if you have the redirect earlier in the list, that will always be the alternative that is used.

User directory substitution is not active by default in versions 2.1.4 and later. In earlier versions, UserDir public_html was assumed if no UserDir directive was present.

Merging details

Lists of specific enabled and disabled users are replaced, not merged, from global to virtual host scope

 Per-user web directories tutorial