HTTP Basic Authentication is failing in python script

Question

I am trying to connect to a REST resource and retrieve the data using Python script (Python 3.2.3). When I run the script I am getting error as HTTP Error 401: Unauthorized. Please note that I am able to access the given REST resource using REST client using Basic Authentication. In the REST Client I have specified the hostname, user and password details (realm is not required). Below is the code and complete error. Your help is very much appreciated.

Code:

import urllib.request

# set up authentication info
auth_handler = urllib.request.HTTPBasicAuthHandler()
auth_handler.add_password(realm=None,
                       uri=r'http://hostname/',
                       user='administrator',
                       passwd='administrator')
opener =  urllib.request.build_opener(auth_handler)
urllib.request.install_opener(opener)
res = opener.open(r'http://hostname:9004/apollo-api/nodes')
nodes = res.read()

Error

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python32\scripts\get-nodes.py", line 12, in <module>
    res = opener.open(r'http://tolowa.wysdm.lab.emc.com:9004/apollo-api/nodes')
File "C:\Python32\lib\urllib\request.py", line 375, in open
   response = meth(req, response)
File "C:\Python32\lib\urllib\request.py", line 487, in http_response
   'http', request, response, code, msg, hdrs)
File "C:\Python32\lib\urllib\request.py", line 413, in error
   return self._call_chain(*args)
File "C:\Python32\lib\urllib\request.py", line 347, in _call_chain
   result = func(*args)
File "C:\Python32\lib\urllib\request.py", line 495, in http_error_default
   raise HTTPError(req.full_url, code, msg, hdrs, fp)
urllib.error.HTTPError: HTTP Error 401: Unauthorized

many of the built in http clients in python are cumbersome; have you considered using a different client, eg: docs.python-requests.org/en/latest/index.html — SingleNegationElimination
– SingleNegationElimination, Commented Aug 30, 2012 at 18:03

j0nes · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-30 17:24:34Z

4

Try to give the correct realm name. You can find this out for example when opening the page in a browser - the password prompt should display the name.

answered Aug 30, 2012 at 17:24

j0nes

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2 Comments

Martijn Pieters Over a year ago

This, or use the HTTPPasswordMgrWithDefaultRealm password manager instead.

user1636640 Over a year ago

Thanks jOnes and @Martijn Pieters for helping me in resolving this issue.

Thierry Lam · Accepted Answer · 2012-08-30 18:10:51Z

3

You can also read the realm by catching the exception that was raised:

import urllib.error
import urllib.request

# set up authentication info
auth_handler = urllib.request.HTTPBasicAuthHandler()
auth_handler.add_password(realm=None,
                       uri=r'http://hostname/',
                       user='administrator',
                       passwd='administrator')
opener =  urllib.request.build_opener(auth_handler)
urllib.request.install_opener(opener)
try:
    res = opener.open(r'http://hostname:9004/apollo-api/nodes')
    nodes = res.read()
except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
    print(e.headers['www-authenticate'])

You should get the following output:

Basic realm="The realm you are after"

Read the realm from above and set it in your add_password method and it should be good to go.

answered Aug 30, 2012 at 18:10

Thierry Lam

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1 Comment

user1636640 Over a year ago

Thanks @Thierry Lam for helping me in resolving this issue.

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