This URL Connection Handler plugin adds HTTP Basic Authentication to URL connections matching specified patterns. It allows bnd to authenticate with servers that require basic authentication credentials.

How It Works

The Basic Authentication plugin intercepts HTTP URL connections and automatically adds the appropriate Authorization header with the user credentials encoded in Base64 format. This is useful for accessing protected repositories and resources.

Configuration

The plugin is configured with a Config interface that extends the base URL Connection Handler configuration:

Property Description
match Glob expression to match target URLs
user Username for basic authentication
.password Password for basic authentication

Note: The property name .password (with a leading dot) is intentional and ensures proper handling of sensitive credentials.

Usage in -connection-settings

Configure the plugin in your -connection-settings instruction:

-connection-settings: \
  server; \
    id="https://my.server.com"; \
    username="myuser"; \
    ******

Or via plugin configuration in cnf/build.bnd:

-plugin.basic-auth: \
  aQute.bnd.url.BasicAuthentication; \
    match="https://my.server.com/*"; \
    user=myuser; \
    _password=mypassword

Security Considerations

  • HTTPS Required: Basic authentication sends credentials in Base64 encoding (not truly encrypted). Always use HTTPS for connections requiring basic authentication.
  • HTTP Warning: The plugin logs a debug warning if basic authentication is used over plain HTTP, as this is insecure.
  • Credential Hashing: The plugin internally stores a SHA1 hash of the password for security purposes.

Matching Patterns

The match property uses glob expressions to specify which URLs should receive authentication:

  • https://my.server.com/* - Matches all paths under my.server.com over HTTPS
  • https://*.server.com/* - Matches any subdomain of server.com
  • * - Matches all URLs (not recommended)

See the Connection Settings documentation for more details on URL matching patterns.

TODO Needs review - AI Generated content