Problems with configuring for shared SSL checkout - CSS reference is wrong

[rdesignista]

Thanks for the note RodG. I actually have to re-configure after we re-direct our domain to our 2nd nameserver, so this will help the inevitable directory issues/shared-SSL issues I will see again.

It is a bit weird, but the hosting guys told me that servername.net/~aimaa is the shared SSL url, and since it does work for my admin, I guess it's not too bad... does this look right to you? I set it up for shared SSL for the entire admin area:

  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/');
  define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/');
  define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://servername.net');
  define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/'); 

[RodG]

Thanks for the note RodG. I actually have to re-configure after we re-direct our domain to our 2nd nameserver, so this will help the inevitable directory issues/shared-SSL issues I will see again.

It is a bit weird, but the hosting guys told me that servername.net/~aimaa is the shared SSL url,

They didn't tell you anything wrong. A servername and a URL are not the same thing. A URL consists of a servername *and* a path to the resource (in this case, the servername is "servername.net", the path is /~aimaa, and the URL is. as specified, servername.net/~aimaa

and since it does work for my admin, I guess it's not too bad...

The fact that it works isn't an indication that that 'its not too bad'. All that is really telling us is that when the defined servername is combined with a file/folder path it actually evalutes to a valid resource.

Example: Lets us assume that a valid resource is located at /thisfolder/thatfolder/anotherfolder/ on a server called "myserver.com".

Valid 'defines' for this would be
servername = http://myserver.com
theFiles = /thisfolder/thatfolder/anotherfolder/

When these elements/defines are combined they will produce a valid URL of http://myserver.com/thisfolder/thatf...anotherfolder/

Now, consider what happens if you define the elements like
servername = http://myserver.com/thisfolder/
theFiles = /thatfolder/anotherfolder/

When these elements/defines are combined they will produce the exact same URL as before, namely
http://myserver.com/thisfolder/thatf...anotherfolder/
As such things will work (at least most of the time).

The problem(s) will arise when the program only needs the servername for something or other (not the filepath). Such an instance would be when cookies are set/retrieved. In the first instance the cookie will be set for servername "myserver.com". In the second instance it will be set for an *invalid servername* of http://myserver.com/thisfolder/
Unpredictable problems can be expected.

Another example of potential problems is where there are several file paths needed, eg, images, includes, admin, and so forth. EG:

servername = http://myserver.com
images path = /images/
admin path = /admin/

The URL needed to access the images using these defines will evaluate to
http://myserver.com/images/ and the URL to access the admin files will evaluate to
http://myserver.com/admin/

Everything will be found where expected.

Now consider this slight variant:
servername = http://myserver.com/images
images path = /
admin path = /admin/

Note how I've just made the folder path a part of the servername. What happens now? If you attempt to access the images, the evaluated URL will be
http://myserver.com/images/
Perfectly correct, and it will work. However, if you now attempt to access the /admin/ folder, the URL will evaluate to
http://myserver.com/images/admin/

This will fail miserably with a '404 file not found' error because it is now looking for an admin folder within the images folder.

does this look right to you? I set it up for shared SSL for the entire admin area:

  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/');
  define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/');
  define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://servername.net');
  define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/'); 

[/QUOTE]

Based on the examples I've just provided you should be able to determine for yourself whether it is right or not.

Personally I will emphatically argue that it is wrong, but that doesn't mean it won't work, and I know for a fact that there are many people using configurations near identical to this (and as a result they will argue blind that it is 'correct').

Here endeth the lesson.

Cheers
Rod

[DrByte]

Ok, so I kind of figured it out. I went with these settings (the default during installation):

  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'http://servername.net');
  define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://servername.net');

  // Use secure webserver for checkout procedure?
  define('ENABLE_SSL', 'true');

// NOTE: be sure to leave the trailing '/' at the end of these lines if you make changes!
// * DIR_WS_* = Webserver directories (virtual/URL)
  // these paths are relative to top of your webspace ... (ie: under the public_html or httpdocs folder)
  define('DIR_WS_CATALOG', '/~aimaa/store/');
  define('DIR_WS_HTTPS_CATALOG', '/~aimaa/store/'); 

Yes, that is appropriate for the NON-ADMIN file.

I set it up for shared SSL for the entire admin area:

  define('HTTP_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/');
  define('HTTPS_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/');
  define('HTTP_CATALOG_SERVER', 'http://servername.net');
  define('HTTPS_CATALOG_SERVER', 'https://servername.net/~aimaa/'); 

Yes, that is acceptable for the ADMIN configure.php file, as long as your DIR_WS_xxxxx settings don't include the ~aimaa references.


Working with folders is simple: you just don't want to repeat any of the same folders in your DIR_WS_xxxxx settings that you've already got in your HTTPxxx_SERVER settings.
It's usually simplest to put the special foldername in the HTTPS_SERVER setting, since if you change that at a later date, you won't need to change any of the DIR_WS_xxxx stuff.