[users@httpd] RE: IndexIgnore list

[Stuart McGraw <sm...@frii.com>]

> Boyle Owen wrote: 
> > Stuart McGraw wrote:
> > How do you reset the IndexIgnore list?
> > My httpd.conf (apache-2.2 on Fedora Core 5) has the line:
> > 
> >   IndexIgnore .??* *~ *# HEADER* README* RCS CVS *,v *,t
> > 
> > The is fine for all directories except one (and it's subdirs).
> > For that one I need to have those ignored files appear in
> > the directory listing.
> > 
> > The docs say you can only add to the list -- surely there
> > must be some way to reset it?!?!?  
> 
> Why "surely"? The docs are pretty clear that it is an additive list. A quick look at the source 
> (modules/generators/mod_autoindex.c, look for add_ignore method) shows that it just pushes the pattern onto an array 
> every time it finds an IndexIgnore.
> 
> Having the ability to reset or subtract from the list would be "nice" but seems like it would be quite complicated to add 
> to the code in a robust way (you'd also need a new directive). Some developers might complain of feature creep...

Please take my comment in the context on someone using Apache 
for the first time, starting yesterday.  I am pretty clueless.
 I said "surely" because without the ability to override the 
list in subdirectories, it seems like its usefulness is hugely 
limited.  There is no natural reason that subdirectories would 
always want to have more restrictions on what files are shown, 
than their parent's directories is there?  And it seems unreasonable 
to require a directory hierarchy to be determined by which ones 
have the most restrictive ignore lists.  So, the ignore list is 
in generally only going to be useful if it is a global setting, 
applied to all directories.  To me this seems unnaturally restrictive, 
to a degree that I found it hard to believe that a product as 
mature as Apache would have a restriction like this.  But perhaps 
I misunderstand it's purpose...I am a very much a newbie.

> Wacky off-the-top-of-my-head, untried, untested "workarounds":
> 
> - Make a separate VH, on port 8080 for example, with docroot set to the target dir and have no IndexIgnore in this VH. 
> Then, in the main VH, proxy requests for that dir to the port 8080 VH. Maybe that would work? 

I'll look into this tomorrow but it seems like driving 100 miles up 
one side of a river, crossing, and driving back down the other 
side, because there is no local bridge.  :-(

> - a one-off hack to suit your situation: Extend the add_ignore method so that if it encounters a certain pattern (eg, 
> CLEAR_INDEX_IGNORE_LIST), then it empties the array. You could then put "IndexIgnore CLEAR_INDEX_IGNORE_LIST" in the 
> directory you want to free up. [NB - no idea if this would really work - it might clear the list for all dirs!)

You're talking about modifying the code and rebuilding?

Hmm, I think I will rethink my requirements.  But I do very much 
appreciate getting your thoughts on this.


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