Because this is implemented using a general internal redirect mechanism in the server. For AS to return the 404 automagically, it would need a "default http status" field in the connection structure to keep track of this state, and then there would be some confusion over what to do with the default status vs explicit status when someone did:
ns_returnfile 200 text/html blah which is what's is happening when your static html file is returned. I do agree that it's kinda weird/bogus that a code 200 gets sent out for static files used as the "not found" file, but it seems more of a documentation/"how to workaround" issue to me rather than needing a server hack. Another thing your TCL 404 handler could do is act as a forwarding service. For example, a friendly ISP might let a customer register a forwarding web address for a while if they leave. When a 404 occurs, the ISP looks in the forwarding table and returns a "301 - Moved" http status rather than the 404. Wouldn't be possible if the server was hacked to always return 404... Jim > I was just wondering if there was a more obvious way to accomplish > that - why doesn't aolserver return 404 status by default when having > custom error pages? Is there a reason for this or is it just > oversight? -- AOLserver - http://www.aolserver.com/ To Remove yourself from this list, simply send an email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> with the body of "SIGNOFF AOLSERVER" in the email message. You can leave the Subject: field of your email blank.
