+
+> While I'm sure a plugin could do this, it adds so much scalability cost
+> and is so counter to ikiwiki's design.. Have you considered using the
+> [[plugins/httpauth]] plugin to unify around htaccess auth? --[[Joey]]
+
+>> I'm not speaking of rendering the pages on demand, but to serve them on demand.
+>> They would still be compiled the regular way;
+>> I'll have another look at [[plugins/httpauth]] but I really like the openID whole idea.
+>> --[[emptty]]
+
+>>> How about
+>>> [mod_auth_openid](http://trac.butterfat.net/public/mod_auth_openid), then?
+>>> A plugin for ikiwiki to serve its own pages is far afield from ikiwiki's roots,
+>>> as Joey pointed out, but might be a neat option to have anyway -- for unifying
+>>> authentication across views and edits, for systems not otherwise running
+>>> web servers, for systems with web servers you don't have access to, and
+>>> doubtless for other purposes. Such a plugin would add quite a bit of flexibility,
+>>> and in that sense (IMO, of course) it'd be in the spirit of ikiwiki. --[[schmonz]]
+
+>>>> Yes, I think this could probably be used in combination with ikiwiki's
+>>>> httpauth and openid plugins. --[[Joey]]
+
+>>>>> If you use the httpauth and the cgiauthurl method, you can restrict a path
+>>>>> like /private/* to be accessible only under the authenticated request uri.
+
+>>>>>> Note that if editing is enabled, then you should set the restriction in
+>>>>>> [[plugins/lockedit]]'s locked_pages too
+>>>>>> or they may be able to view pages by editing the page= value in the editor's
+>>>>>> query string. --[mjr](http://mjr.towers.org.uk/)