Re: need assistance on setting up a WWW server

Jean Francois Groff (jfg@dxcern.cern.ch)
Wed, 8 Jul 92 14:59:19 +0200 

Date: Wed, 8 Jul 92 14:59:19 +0200
From: jfg@dxcern.cern.ch (Jean Francois Groff)
Message-Id: <9207081259.AA05277@dxcern.cern.ch>
To: www-talk@nxoc01.cern.ch
Subject: Re: need assistance on setting up a WWW server


Forwarded From: timbl@nxoc01.cern.ch (Tim Berners-Lee)

Someone just the other day pointed out that the rules file wasn't very well
documented.  I then put in a couple of examples.

Here is the example code (its on the web, linked to the
documentation node about the rule file)

                                             Examples of HTTP daemon rule files
                              RULE FILE EXAMPLES
                                       
   A basic rule file for the http daemon might look like this:
   

map    /          /welcome.html
map    /*         /u/john/public/*
pass   /u/john/public/*
fail   *

   The first line maps the root document onto a specific document about the
   server.
   
   The second line maps all document names onto filenames in a particular
   directory.
   
   The third line allows access to all documenst in that directory.
   
   The fouth line disallows access to all other documents. (There won't be in
   any in this case because of the mapping, but its wise to put in for later).
   
Second example


map    /            /tnotes/welcome.html
map    /tnotes/*    /u/john/public/*
map    /seminars/*  /u/jane/seminars/*
pass   /u/john/public/*
pass   /u/jane/seminars/*.html
fail   *

   The first line maps the root document onto a specific document about the
   server. (See etiquette)
   
   The second line maps all document names starting with /tnote/ onto filenames
   in a particular where john maintains the technical notes. If someone else
   takes over the technical notes, we can change this. Here we are starting to
   distinguish between document names and file names. This can be carried much
   further if necessary, but one level of mapping is enough to allow for
   changes of administration of different areas.
   
   The third line separately maps the seminar information into Jane's
   directory.
   
   The third and forth line enable access to anything in John's "public"
   directory, and any .html file in Jane's "seminar" directory tree. Note here
   that the * maps to any sequence INCLUDING SLASHES so all files in any
   subdirectory of /u/jane/seminars will be enabled so long as they end in
   .html.
   
   The bottom line will pick up for example any attempt to use the server to
   access non-html files in Jane's seminar directory.