> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jerry Baker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 
> I guess another way of putting it is, I am looking to see if it is 
> possible to just tell Apache that anything on port 443 is to 
> be treated 
> as SSL and anything on port 80 is to be treated as normal 
> HTTP? It seems 
> awkward and clumsy to have to have two virtual hosts for every real 
> virtual host just to include SSL.

First, the lecture:

"...just to include SSL." is your wrongthink.

SSL (or to be more accurate, HTTPS) is an additional layer on top of HTTP so it 
is like it is a different protocol. Therefore your question is a bit like, "Do 
I have to install Sendmail, just to include SMTP?"

For HTTPS to work, it needs a unique TCP/IP socket on which to begin the HTTPS 
negotiation. That is conventionally port 443. Happily, apache (using mod_ssl) 
can be configured to handle an HTTPS session, but it requires a virtual host to 
be configured to handle the requests once they are decrypted. This VH then 
includes all the SSL directives (eg, SSLEngine on) so it can't be used for 
plain HTTP.

I think the underlying problem is that you want a site that automatically works 
in HTTP or HTTPS with identical content under each. I'm sure you have your 
reasons, but have you thought through exactly why you want this? SSL is used to 
protect data when it's on the public part of the route between the client and 
server. This would either be private data submitted by the client (eg, credit 
card number) or sent by the server (eg, personal user data held on a server). 
Why would you want these resources also available under plain HTTP? If people 
used the HTTP URLs, the data would not be protected. It's a bit like phoning 
your bank up and asking them to send you some money and, depending on the 
number you call, they either send it round in an armoured car or post it in the 
mail in a see-through envelope.

Second, a possible solution:

Having said all that, you might be able to construct a suitably complicated 
boolean expression which you can use in SSLRequire to switch on and off SSL on 
a per-request basis (see 
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.0/mod/mod_ssl.html#sslrequire). Alternatively, 
you can keep the two VHs but put the common directives in an included file (see 
http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.0/mod/core.html#include).

Rgds,
Owen Boyle
Disclaimer: Any disclaimer attached to this message may be ignored. 





> 
> -- 
> Jerry Baker
> 
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