Quicktime - Restrict Access

(This section assumes some familiarity with connecting to a server via secure shell (SSH), as well as the UNIX command line. If you need assistance, check with your departmental support person.)

If you want to protect your QuickTime clips from unauthorized viewing, you can do so with a "qtaccess" file. If you are familiar with using ".htaccess" files to secure webpages, the process will be familiar.

Please follow these steps to restrict access to your QuickTime files.

1. Log in to your account with SSH and create a subdirectory in your movies directory. This will be the directory that you place your files in to restrict access. You cannot restrict access to the entire movies directory (it must be a subdirectory).
   
   
2. Next, you will need to create a user file (".qt_users") in your home directory (not in the subdirectory). For example, to create a file called ".qt_users" with a single user in it named "imasUser" you would enter the following command:
   
   
   qtpasswd -f /local/home/imas/.qt_users -c imasUser
   
   

   The "-c" flag is only necessary to create the user file. Once you have created the userfile you can add users to the file by running the same command without the "-c".

   You must add users to user file one at a time by running the qtpasswd command for each username.

3. Now create a text file called "qtaccess" and place it in the subdirectory you want protected. This file will look something like this:
   
   

   AuthName <message>
   AuthUserFile <user filename>
   AuthGroupFile <group filename>
   require user <username1> <username2>
   require group <groupname1> <groupname>

   (Group entries are optional.)

   Here is a sample "qtaccess" file that would work with the preceding user file we created.

   AuthName Protected QuickTime Files
   AuthUserFile /local/home/imas/.qt_users
   require user imasUser

   
   
4. For more information on using the qtaccess file, see Apple's documentation on "Using QTAccessModule"