[users@httpd] AuthDigest problem - IE7 requires password for index.html, firefox doesn't

[Richard Stanton <st...@Cardiff.ac.uk>]

I've got a server set up - apache 2.0.54, set up on debian sarge PPC.  I have 3 virtual servers
enabled (2 plain, 1 SSL), and am trying to enable password authentication on one of them.  Here's
what the virtualhost block for that server looks like:

<VirtualHost *>
ServerName xxx.com
DocumentRoot /var/xxx.com
ServerAdmin stantonrj@cf.ac.uk 

<Directory />
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride None
        Order allow,deny
        allow from all
        Authtype        Digest
        AuthName        "By Invitation Only"
        AuthDigestFile  /etc/apache2/passwd/xxx.com
        Require         user    xxx
</Directory>

ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/xxx-error.log
CustomLog /var/log/apache2/xxx-access.log common
LogLevel warn

</VirtualHost>

Using IE7, everything works as expected - type in this virtualhost name & I'm asked for a password.
 Give the wrong password, doesn't let me in, give the correct password & it does let me in.  However
in firefox 2 (windows) I can view the initial index.html fine, with no password being asked for.  If
I try to browse to a subdirectory of the virtualserver in firefox, then I am asked for a password at
that point (and the authentication works).  Why am I able to view the initial index.html page in
firefox without being prompted for a password?

Thanks.

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