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[DocDB] yb-master/yb-tserver fail to start when --webserver_password_file is set (Web UI auth) #32074

Description

@ddorian

Jira Link: DB-21770

Description

Description

Enabling Web UI authentication via --webserver_password_file prevents
yb-master / yb-tserver from starting. The embedded webserver (squeasel)
rejects the config option name, so the process exits.

Version

2025.2.3.0-b149 (also present on master)

Steps to reproduce

  1. Create an htpasswd file readable by the process.
  2. Add to master.conf (or tserver.conf):
    --webserver_password_file=/path/to/.htpasswd
    --webserver_authentication_domain=YugabyteDB
  3. Start yb-master.

Actual

  Webserver: Invalid option: global_passwords_file
  Webserver: Could not start on address 0.0.0.0:7000

Expected

Webserver starts with HTTP digest auth enabled.

Root cause

src/yb/server/webserver.cc passes the option as "global_passwords_file",
but the bundled squeasel registers it as "global_auth_file"
(GLOBAL_PASSWORDS_FILE is only the internal enum index). The unknown
name makes sq_start() fail, so the webserver — and the whole process — won't start.

Issue Type

kind/bug

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