vhttpd URL Settings

These vhttpd.conf config file settings modify how the vhttpd web server responds to various URLs.

• AllowExt .ext [.ext ...]
  Add the given extension(s) to the list of allowed file extensions. Only files with these extensions are accessible to users. If no AllowExt settings are given, the default list is:

  .au .bmp .css .doc .dvi .eps .gif .gz .htm .html .ief .jpe .jpeg .jpg .latex .mov .mpe .mpeg .mpg .pbm .pdf .pgm .png .pnm .ppm .ps .qt .ram .ras .rgb .rtf .snd .tex .texi .texinfo .tiff .txt .wbmp .wml .wmlc .wmls .wmlsc .xbm .xls .xml .xpm .xwd .Z .zip

  The default list is cleared by the first AllowExt setting. Later settings add to the previous settings. By default, Vortex scripts (no extension) and object files (.vtx extension) may not be downloaded by users, in version 2.6.928300000 19990602 and later, when AllowExt was added. A value of * (asterisk) will allow any extension. An empty string ("") will allow files with no extension, such as Vortex script source files.

• AddAllowExt .ext [.ext ...]
  Same as AllowExt, but does not clear default list when used for the first time, ie. always adds to existing list. Added in version 5.01.1205376000 20080312.

• ExcludeExt .ext [.ext ...]
  Add the given extension(s) to the list of denied file extensions. The deny list is checked before the AllowExt allow list. The default deny list is empty. Added in version 5.01.1205376000 20080312.

• AddExcludeExt .ext [.ext ...]
  Same as ExcludeExt. Added in version 5.01.1205376000 20080312.

• IgnoreCaseExt boolean
  Whether to ignore case when checking file extensions. On by default in case-insensitive-file OSes. Added in version 5.01.1205376000 20080312.

• AllowLogFileOverride boolean
    Whether to allow the error, transfer and/or vortex log file settings to be overridden (changed) in Vortex, via <vxcp> (p. ). The default is true. Can be set false to debug complex <vxcp> log file redirection issues. Added in version 5.01.1170123063 20070129.

• AcceptMethods method [method ...]
  List of HTTP methods to accept, eg. beyond the implemented GET HEAD and POST methods, for Vortex scripts. GET HEAD and POST should be listed as well, if this setting is used. It is up to the Vortex script to implement other methods correctly. A single asterisk (``*'') may be listed to accept any. Added in version 5.01.1208373137 20080416.

• AddType mime/type ext [ext ...]
  Maps filename extension(s) ext to the MIME Content-Type mime/type for file downloads and VortexPath scripts. Overrides/adds to mapping list from TypesConfig file (p. ). Added in version 3.0.949000000 20000127.

• DefaultType mime/type
  Sets default MIME Content-Type to use if undeterminable from file extension, for file downloads. Added in version 3.0.949000000 20000127.

• AddEncoding mime/encoding ext [ext ...]
  Maps filename extension(s) ext to the MIME Content-Encoding mime/encoding for file downloads. Overrides/adds to mapping list from EncodingsConfig file (p. ). Added in version 3.0.949000000 20000127.

• VortexPath urlpath [script]
  Add the full-path (starts with /) urlpath as a server-run Vortex URL. Any URL request in this tree will be treated as a Vortex script and run by the server as such. For example, if VortexPath /texis is set, then a request for the URL http://www.mysite.com/texis/mydir/search will run the Vortex script mydir/search in the ScriptRoot directory.

  To replace an existing Apache web server's CGI-run Vortex with Texis Web Server-run Vortex, replace a config file entry such as this:

        ScriptAlias   /cgi-bin /usr2/pub/httpd/cgi-bin

  with an entry like this:

        VortexPath    /cgi-bin/texis

  The optional script argument (ServerRoot-relative) was added in version 2.6.930850000 19990701. If it is given, then the script is script plus the remainder of the URL request (after urlpath). For example, if VortexPath /texis/special /usr/local/specialscript/main.html/+ is set, then http://www.mysite.com/texis/special/extra will map to the script /usr/local/specialscript, function main, with $userpath of ``/extra''.

  VortexPath may be given multiple times to map different URL paths. Depending on the current license, the word texis may be required in the URL path, to identify the URL as Vortex. Note that giving a script argument can result in non-standard behavior of $url and other variables, since part of the script path is not in the URL.

• EntryScript filepath
    File path to Vortex script to run before every web transaction. This can be used to check security permissions, ward off rogue users, etc. ServerRoot-relative. The default is none. In version 2.6.929600000 19990617 and later, if this script returns a non-zero exit code via <exit>, the actual request URL is not served and the transaction is abandoned. See also the ENTRYFUNC directive (p. ) which is often more useful.

• ExitScript filepath
    File path to Vortex script to run after every web transaction. Generally used to log transactions to a database. ServerRoot-relative. The default is none. See also the EXITFUNC directive (p. ) which is often more useful.

• ErrorScript filepath
    File path to Vortex script to run if requested script cannot be started. ServerRoot-relative. This script can process errors for nonexistent scripts, compile problems, etc. Overrides texis.cnf setting (see p. ). Added in version 4.00.1018000000 20020405.

• UseErrorScriptForServerErrors boolean
  Whether to invoke ErrorScript for certain server errors, such as 404 Not Found; normally it is invoked only for Vortex errors. If enabled, the function statusNNN.html in ErrorScript is called, where NNN is the HTTP response code. The following variables are also set:

  • STATUS_CODE The HTTP response code, eg. 404

  • STATUS_REASON The HTTP status line reason, eg. Not Found

  • STATUS_MSG A verbose text error message

  The ErrorScript can use these variables to distinguish Vortex script errors (where the variables are not set) from web server errors (where they are set), as well as issue the proper HTTP response. See the default ErrorScript for example usage. Added in version 5.01.1206660000 20080327.

• ErrorFile filepath
    File path to plain HTML file to send if ErrorScript is to be invoked but cannot be started. ServerRoot-relative. This is a plain file ``fallback'' for ErrorScript failure. Overrides texis.cnf setting (see p. ). Added in version 4.00.1018000000 20020405.

• ProxyScript filepath
  File path to Vortex script to run for a proxy request. ServerRoot-relative. Default is none (do not proxy). Setting this script enables the web server as a proxy server. This script is then responsible for fetching and serving all such proxy requests (whether Vortex scripts or file requests). Such a script could compress images, strip ads, etc. for users' everyday web surfing, if users configure their browsers to use the server as a proxy server. Added in version 4.00.994800000 20010710.

• ScriptAlias urlpath filepath
  Alias urlpath to CGI directory or program filepath. A web request in the urlpath URL tree will cause the CGI program filepath to be run, if it is an executable file. If filepath is a directory, the CGI program in it is named by the next component in the URL. The filepath is ServerRoot-relative, and ScriptAlias may be used multiple times. In version 2.6.930850000 19990701 and earlier, the filepath could only be a directory.

  For example, given ScriptAlias /cgi-bin cgidir and the directory cgidir in ServerRoot, a URL such as http://www.mysite.com/cgi-bin/prog will execute the CGI program cgidir/prog.