Patch for validator install configurability

   I've got a fairly large patch for the validator to allow it to be run 
fully without having a (virtual) host for it (with the standard distribution 
this is necessary because the code assumes the validator is running from 
"/"). I've been running it for quite some time at our site, and over time 
I've updated it and kept up-to-date with the current validator using CVS.

   What I've done is:

* Create httpd/cgi-bin/ValidatorConfig.pm. This contains all the 
configuration that may need to be changed for the validator, including (the 
bit I did it all for) "base_uri". For a "traditional" validator install this 
is just '/', but here I use '/validator/'. Also configured is "hostname", for 
places where "validator.w3.org" was hard-coded before. The CGI sourcecode was 
then updated to use configuration from this package throughout.

* Create htdocs/config.html. This contains one SSI directive, to set the 
variable "base_uri", which is equivalent to the Perl variable described 
above. The HTML was then changed to remove absolute references like "/" and 
"/base.css" to make them relative, along with changes to use the "base_uri" 
SSI variable.

* One actual behaviour change in httpd/cgi-bin/check. This changes the 
behaviour for "check/referer" runs. I found it undesirable to just fiddle 
with the referer URI and continue to check the page, as it then made it 
impossible to reload the page to check it again. So, I made the change to do 
a "Status: 301 Moved Permanently\nLocation: blahblah" instead. This ensures 
you end up at a page that contains the referer URI.

   So, what should I do, send the patch to the list? Is anyone at all 
interested? :)

   John.

P.S. Oh, and I made the availability of the traceroute script a configuration 
option in ValidatorConfig.pm too

-- 
John Beranek, Senior Software Engineer
Pace Micro Technology plc. (Cambridge)    Tel: +44 1223 518561
645 Newmarket Road,                       Fax: +44 1223 518526
Cambridge, CB5 8PB, UK.                   Web: http://www.pace.co.uk/

Received on Friday, 12 July 2002 07:52:51 UTC