question: why does my .htaccess file not work?

answer: you need to add the line: 'Auth_MYSQL off'
sample .htaccess file:

   AuthUserFile /home/isber/loginname/.htpasswd
AuthType Basic
Auth_MYSQL off
AuthName "my private area"
<Limit GET>
require valid-user
</Limit>

question: how do i password protect my website?
answer: read "how to setup a .htaccess file"

question: how do i do stuff in unix?
answer:
basic unix help
advanced unix help