DO NOT REPLY [Bug 7604] New: - serving gzipped static html, download file bug with IE

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http://nagoya.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=7604

serving gzipped static html, download file bug with IE

           Summary: serving gzipped static html, download file bug with IE
           Product: Apache httpd-1.3
           Version: 1.3.23
          Platform: PC
               URL: http://hot-deals.org
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: Normal
          Priority: Other
         Component: Other mods
        AssignedTo: bugs@httpd.apache.org
        ReportedBy: jon2@modem.org


Occasionally, some of my visitors who use Microsoft Internet Explorer
get a "Download File" dialog instead of viewing the static html page
on my website (www.hot-deals.org).  I have been trying to track down
this problem for months now, but no one seems to have any idea why
this happens.

This happened occasionally to my users when I was using Apache 1.3.20,
and is not occuring a little more frequently under Apache 1.3.23.

The visitors that reported this problem to me, say that when it
happens they get the "Download File, Save To Disk" dialog.  Hitting
the site again repeats the download dialog.  After a little while, the
dialog goes away, and the page is served normally.  Those users say
that the webpage works fine for several weeks, then for no reason the
"Download File" dialog reappears.

It appears to be user-specific, not site-wide.  Meaning, a single user
may report that they are currently getting the "Download" dialog
instead of viewing my page's static HTML screen, and no other user
will report problems during that time.

I believe this is a bug related to how Apache talks to a Microsoft
Internet Explorer browser, when Apache delivers gzipped static html.
This bug happens very infrequently compared to the amount of traffic
that I get.  However it happens enough to warrant me spending my time
in attempt to get to the bottom of this issue.

If a user chooses to download the file, it appears that the gzipped
version of the html is sent from Apache.  What's even more weird is
once a user downloads & saves the file, they can successfully view the
webpage with no problems.

PLEASE HELP!  I have been trying to track down this problem for months
now!

I fear that this problem is related to the gzip module within Apache.
I really want to keep the gzip module there, because my front page is
188 KBytes of HTML, but users only download 42 KBytes because the gzip
module sends the user the compressed version of the html.  The pages
are served over http (port 80), not SSL-encrypted https.  The front
page of my website is static html text, not CGI or Perl or PHP or
other dynamic html generator.

I am currently running Apache 1.3.23, compiled by me (not using RPMs).
My linux kernel is 2.4.17 SMP, also compiled by me.  Apache DSO (not
static) modules that I am using within Apache:

- Mod_SSL 2.8.6 with OpenSSL 0.9.6c
- Mod GZIP 1.3.19.1a
- PHP 4
- FastCGI
- mod_unique_id
- mod_headers
- mod_auth
- mod_access
- mod_alias
- mod_userdir
- mod_actions
- mod_imap
- mod_cgi
- mod_dir
- mod_autoindex
- mod_include
- mod_status
- mod_negotiation
- mod_mime
- mod_log_config
- mod_env

PLEASE HELP!  I have been stumped for months now, with no leads as to
the cause of the problem.

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