If you’d like to use NConf, but want your HTTPD, e.g. Apache, to do the auth for it, apply the below patch to set the NConf user to the currently authenticated user.
--- include/head.php.orig   2012-04-03 19:34:13.774594705 +0000
+++ include/head.php   2012-04-03 19:21:39.470169672 +0000
@@ -70,7 +70,12 @@
 }else{
    // NO authentication
    $_SESSION['group'] = GROUP_ADMIN;
-Â Â Â $_SESSION["userinfos"]['username'] = GROUP_ADMIN;
+Â Â Â # M@
+Â Â Â if( isset($_SERVER['REMOTE_USER']) ){
+Â Â Â $_SESSION["userinfos"]['username'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_USER'];
+Â Â Â }else{
+Â Â Â Â Â Â $_SESSION["userinfos"]['username'] = GROUP_ADMIN;
+Â Â Â }
    message($debug, 'authentication is disabled');
    message($debug, $_SESSION["group"].' access granted');
 }