curl/docs/cmdline-opts/anyauth.md

---
c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.
SPDX-License-Identifier: curl
Long: anyauth
Help: Pick any authentication method
Protocols: HTTP
Category: http proxy auth
Added: 7.10.6
Multi: mutex
See-also:
  - proxy-anyauth
  - basic
  - digest
Example:
  - --anyauth --user me:pwd $URL
---

# `--anyauth`

Figure out authentication method automatically, and use the most secure one
the remote site claims to support. This is done by first doing a request and
checking the response-headers, thus possibly inducing an extra network
round-trip. This option is used instead of setting a specific authentication
method, which you can do with --basic, --digest, --ntlm, and --negotiate.

Using --anyauth is not recommended if you do uploads from stdin, since it may
require data to be sent twice and then the client must be able to rewind. If
the need should arise when uploading from stdin, the upload operation fails.

Used together with --user.
docs/cmdline: change to .md for cmdline docs - switch all invidual files documenting command line options into .md, as the documentation is now markdown-looking. - made the parser treat 4-space indents as quotes - switch to building the curl.1 manpage using the "mainpage.idx" file, which lists the files to include to generate it, instead of using the previous page-footer/headers. Also, those files are now also .md ones, using the same format. I gave them underscore prefixes to make them sort separately: _NAME.md, _SYNOPSIS.md, _DESCRIPTION.md, _URL.md, _GLOBBING.md, _VARIABLES.md, _OUTPUT.md, _PROTOCOLS.md, _PROGRESS.md, _VERSION.md, _OPTIONS.md, _FILES.md, _ENVIRONMENT.md, _PROXYPREFIX.md, _EXITCODES.md, _BUGS.md, _AUTHORS.md, _WWW.md, _SEEALSO.md - updated test cases accordingly Closes #12751 2024-01-21 06:18:43 +08:00			`---`
copyright: update all copyright lines and remove year ranges - they are mostly pointless in all major jurisdictions - many big corporations and projects already don't use them - saves us from pointless churn - git keeps history for us - the year range is kept in COPYING checksrc is updated to allow non-year using copyright statements Closes #10205 2023-01-02 20:51:48 +08:00			`c: Copyright (C) Daniel Stenberg, <daniel@haxx.se>, et al.`
docs/cmdline-opts: add copyright and license identifier to each file gen.pl now insists on C: and SPDX-License-Identifier: fields to be present in all files. Closes #9002 2022-06-14 06:12:03 +08:00			`SPDX-License-Identifier: curl`
cmdline-docs: more options converted over 2016-11-16 06:44:58 +08:00			`Long: anyauth`
			`Help: Pick any authentication method`
			`Protocols: HTTP`
docs: add categories to all cmdline opts Adapted gen.pl with 'listcats' This commit is a part of "--help me if you can" Closes #5680 2020-07-13 20:15:04 +08:00			`Category: http proxy auth`
cmdline-opts: made the 'Added:' field mandatory Since "too old" versions are no longer included in the generated man page, this field is now mandatory so that it won't be forgotten and then not included in the documentation. Closes #7786 2021-09-28 17:50:07 +08:00			`Added: 7.10.6`
cmdline/docs: add a required 'multi' keyword for each option The keyword specifies how option works when specified multiple times: - single: the last provided value replaces the earlier ones - append: it supports being provided multiple times - boolean: on/off values - mutex: flag-like option that disable anoter flag The 'gen.pl' script then outputs the proper and unified language for each option's multi-use behavior in the generated man page. The multi: header is requires in each .d file and will cause build error if missing or set to an unknown value. Closes #9759 2022-10-18 16:39:43 +08:00			`Multi: mutex`
docs/cmdline: change to .md for cmdline docs - switch all invidual files documenting command line options into .md, as the documentation is now markdown-looking. - made the parser treat 4-space indents as quotes - switch to building the curl.1 manpage using the "mainpage.idx" file, which lists the files to include to generate it, instead of using the previous page-footer/headers. Also, those files are now also .md ones, using the same format. I gave them underscore prefixes to make them sort separately: _NAME.md, _SYNOPSIS.md, _DESCRIPTION.md, _URL.md, _GLOBBING.md, _VARIABLES.md, _OUTPUT.md, _PROTOCOLS.md, _PROGRESS.md, _VERSION.md, _OPTIONS.md, _FILES.md, _ENVIRONMENT.md, _PROXYPREFIX.md, _EXITCODES.md, _BUGS.md, _AUTHORS.md, _WWW.md, _SEEALSO.md - updated test cases accordingly Closes #12751 2024-01-21 06:18:43 +08:00			`See-also:`
			`- proxy-anyauth`
			`- basic`
			`- digest`
			`Example:`
			`- --anyauth --user me:pwd $URL`
cmdline-docs: more options converted over 2016-11-16 06:44:58 +08:00			`---`
docs/cmdline: change to .md for cmdline docs - switch all invidual files documenting command line options into .md, as the documentation is now markdown-looking. - made the parser treat 4-space indents as quotes - switch to building the curl.1 manpage using the "mainpage.idx" file, which lists the files to include to generate it, instead of using the previous page-footer/headers. Also, those files are now also .md ones, using the same format. I gave them underscore prefixes to make them sort separately: _NAME.md, _SYNOPSIS.md, _DESCRIPTION.md, _URL.md, _GLOBBING.md, _VARIABLES.md, _OUTPUT.md, _PROTOCOLS.md, _PROGRESS.md, _VERSION.md, _OPTIONS.md, _FILES.md, _ENVIRONMENT.md, _PROXYPREFIX.md, _EXITCODES.md, _BUGS.md, _AUTHORS.md, _WWW.md, _SEEALSO.md - updated test cases accordingly Closes #12751 2024-01-21 06:18:43 +08:00
			# `--anyauth`

cmdline-opts: language cleanups Use imperative mood consistently for the first sentence describing an option. "Set this" instead "tell curl to set" or "this sets..." Plus some extra cleanups and rephrasing. Closes #13106 2024-03-12 17:34:58 +08:00			`Figure out authentication method automatically, and use the most secure one`
			`the remote site claims to support. This is done by first doing a request and`
			`checking the response-headers, thus possibly inducing an extra network`
			`round-trip. This option is used instead of setting a specific authentication`
cmdline-docs: more options converted over 2016-11-16 06:44:58 +08:00			`method, which you can do with --basic, --digest, --ntlm, and --negotiate.`

			`Using --anyauth is not recommended if you do uploads from stdin, since it may`
			`require data to be sent twice and then the client must be able to rewind. If`
cmdline-docs: use present tense, not future + some smaller cleanups Closes #11821 2023-09-08 20:32:29 +08:00			`the need should arise when uploading from stdin, the upload operation fails.`
cmdline-docs: more options converted over 2016-11-16 06:44:58 +08:00
			`Used together with --user.`