Help me understand the .htaccess and .staccess files?

New Member Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 11

Sentinel Questions:

Before we get into this too far, the README states:

Quote:

Only on Apache servers -------------> root/.htaccess

My webhost is using LINUX for it's servers.. I thought it would
be important, as maybe I do not have to deal with the following
issues or maybe it makes a difference.

In the script line of the include sample.htaccess file:

AuthUserFile /path/to/your/.staccess

Question 1:
Should the path to your .staccess file include the entire URL?[/quote]

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or

Ex. /NukeDir/.staccess

In otherwords, is any of the portion of the path detected
or automatically assumed? (Like an html file will assume
it location upon placement and execution)?

I am baffled by all of this, I understand some, learning everyday,
and cross my fingers on the rest.

On the subject of the .htaccess & .staccess files? It says in
the readme that these files work in conjunction with CGIAuth.

Question 2:
Should I assume that my webserver is running CGIAuth ot HTTPAu
if there are already some .htaccess files in the sub-dirs? I see
.htaccess files but no .staccess files (unless I missed them).

Should there have been an .htaccess or .staccess file in the root
directory from the start? I see a bunch of .htaccess files in the
sub-dirs, but nothing in the root? I'm still not sure the
ones included in the package and described in the readme are
supposed to go in the root directory? The only reason I thought
they might is that they were placed outside all of the other
included sub-dirs (admin,modules,images,etc...) and typically
authors who create these addon compress the files in the structure
they should be in, in the website's directory.

Question 3:
Are the sample .htaccess & .staccess files replacements for the exisiting
files in the subdirs, and can be placed in multiple dirs, or are these
files that are put into one place?

Question 4:
Would you use both the .htaccess and .staccess files, or is it generally
one or the other depending on what the webserver is using to compile
PHP (or am I completely off base?). From what I gather from the searches
I tried on your website, the .htaccess files use HTTPAuth and the .staccess uses CGIAu??

Question 5:
How do I find out if I have HTTPAuth or CGIAu?? I contacted my webhost
provider and they told me that CGI was enabled.

Thanks for your time, sorry about the length of post.

Mike

Quote:

Site Admin/Owner Joined: Aug 27, 2002 Posts: 17088

Real quick reply and then I, or someone, will answer your other questions.

Linux is the Operating System Software.
Apache is the Web Server Software.

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 5:49 pm

I will be keeping an eager eye out fro your answers as I
would like to get this addon installed properly.

As the administrator I reseive all of the logs from our
website. I received one last night called "APACHE access log for
theafsg.com" is this something that would have been created
by Sentinel? If it is would it have sent me an "APACHE access log"
if APACHE was not installed?

Thanks for reaffirming my thought that LINUX was an OS and APACHE
webhosting software. This is what I thought, but I contacted my webhost
and one of their notorious "TECHS" gave me this answer when I asked
if their servers were running APACHE.. He said, "No our servers are running
LINUX."

So by your response, is it correct to assume that LINUX cannot act
as a webhosting software app?

I contacted my webhost to get as much information I could for my
questions, not to look like a BIG idiot.

I will be waiting for additional answers to my questions.. thanks

Regards,
Mike

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 6:32 pm

Come host with me. That's pathettic.

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:24 pm

What is also pathetic, is that they keep telling me I cannot access
my PHPNUKE directory via FTP! They say for security reasons.

I asked them security for my website or for their servers???
I told them give me access via FTP and I would worry about
my own security! They said it was for both my website and
their servers... BS I say!

Some security... We are trying to get this Sentinel installed because
we have a user/person who keeps coming to our site, and displays
with a username that has been removed from our database, yet
he still manages to connect. When we track his IP it is coming from
places all over the world. He is using some webservice that supposedly
makes you annonymous?? I can't believe that is legal?

Anyways we cannot block him, because his IP keeps changing?
One of the other admins in my group, thinks that somehow he has
set up an admin account, which is hidden? I'm not sure that is possible
but heck with this PHP stuff I just don't know.

This other Admin pointed me to Sentinel, but when I looked at it, I
wasn't sure if we were ready to install something like this, but I went
for it anyways. We have to do something to lock the site down.

So, as soon as I can figure out what to do with the .htaccess & .staccess
I think I will be ok.. Everything else seems to be sort of working.

Now I was just installing the "NukeSentinel_UNI_213_IP2C" and got an
error when trying to move a file.. It said the filenames were too long!?

Quote:

ABIP2CountryUpdateBlockedRanges.php
ABIP2CountryUpdateExcludedRanges.php
ABIP2CountryUpdateProtectedRanges.php
ABIP2CountryUpdateReservedRanges.php

I haven't run into long filename problems since like DOS or Win95!!! LOL
Is this a LINUX problem? Is there a work around for this? Has anyone else
run into this?

I may have to take you up on that offer RAVEN. This company had what
seemed to be the best package. Lots of features, good speed, 1.5gig of
storage, and 50 GIG bandwidth, for $60 a year. I think it was like 15 to
register a dmoain name... SO for $75.00 We had a PHPnuke site up and
running in a few minutes.. The installation was pretty much completely
automated, which was nice for someone who knew nothing at the time.
I have only been messing with this for about 4 weeks now.

My only web experience is light HTML, JAVASCRIPT, and most of it
was using examples I downloaded from design sites..

My only app. programming experience is in VB6.0

So, some of this stuff makes sense, and a lot of it is pretty
confusing. I really aprreciate websites like yours, they are
great!

Regards,
Mike

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 8:40 pm

Sounds like a nice account for hosting downloads remotely lol!

But ok I would just hold off on the IPtoCountry addon it isn't vital at this point you have a problem user and that is very tough to deal with.

How far have you gotten with the CGI Auth install? I think that would be the most important at this point.

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 10:12 pm

Quote:

How far have you gotten with the CGI Auth install?

Oh boy... you know, is there another owners manual I am missing
or something??

I must have read the README included with Sentinel 5 times at least,
and I saw the lines about .htaccess and/or .staccess working with
CGIAuth, but I did not see it listed in the list of requirements, I did
not see any reference that CGIAuth is a seperate install, so I thought
it was just something that was on servers with CGI eneabled.

Are you says that CGIAuth is an addon module or block?

Sorry if I am just being stupid here, I would like to start from the beginning and learn everything before I tackle the harder stuff, but I need to get this security in place.

Sentinel is working because both of us administrators have gotten
banned try to perform certain functions. But I just do not think it
is fully functioning properly.

I guess I will google CGIAuth and find out what I need to do to
Get it up and running.

Any links, advice, or direction you could add would be great.

Thanks
Mike

Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2005 10:50 pm

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