In your WWW directory (or better a subdirectory made for that purpose so that your main directory remains open) put a file .htaccess with contents:

AuthType Basic 
AuthName <account name>  (for example alexweb) 
AuthUserFile <your home dir>/.htpasswd 
AuthType Basic 
<Limit GET> 
require valid-user 
</Limit> 

You need to generate the .htpasswd file using htpasswd, e.g. in your home dir do:

htpasswd .htpasswd alexweb

Note that you can have multiple "accounts", each with their own password. Useful if some things are to be shared with some people and others with others...

-- GustaafBrooijmans - 20 Jan 2011