Edit report at https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=64273&edit=1
ID: 64273
User updated by: php-bugs-2013 at ryandesign dot com
Reported by: php-bugs-2013 at ryandesign dot com
Summary: Requesting nonexistent files should produce HTTP 404
Not Found
Status: Assigned
Type: Bug
Package: Website problem
PHP Version: Irrelevant
Assigned To: tyrael
Block user comment: N
Private report: N
New Comment:
Oh I see. Yes that's ok then. The next issue is that MacPorts assumes
the filename to be downloaded should be appended to the URL; getting
the filename to appear elsewhere within the URL is more work. We've
done it before, on a port-by-port basis as needed, but there are
several ports that fetch PHP tarballs, so the list of PHP mirrors is
collected in a central place, and it doesn't appear as though that
central place has access to the name of the file that's going to be
downloaded, so inserting the filename into those URLs is not going to
be straightforward. I'll have to think about a good way to do that that
does not involve duplicating code in each portfile.
Previous Comments:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2013-02-23 13:19:39] [email protected]
what bjori suggested is using
http://uk.php.net/get/php-5.3.222.tar.bz2/from/this/mirror
instead of
http://uk.php.net/distributions/php-5.3.222.tar.bz2
(or any other mirror you want to use)
as that would still fetch the same files but producing 404 when the file can't
be
found.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2013-02-23 10:59:42] php-bugs-2013 at ryandesign dot com
We would prefer not to use http://www.php.net/get/php-5.3.23.tar.bz2
/from/this/mirror style URLs. In MacPorts, each package (or "port") can
specify multiple URLs for each file to be downloaded. To that list are
added a number of MacPorts mirror servers located around the globe. When
a user wants to install a port, MacPorts pings each server and prefers
to download the files from the servers with the lowest ping times. Our
hope is this will result in faster downloads for users because they will
connect with servers closer to them.
Currently for PHP ports we list a handful of PHP mirror servers. If we
were to instead list only www.php.net, then our algorithm to determine the
fastest server would only take the ping time of www.php.net itself into
consideration. The end result might be that a user would be directed to
one of our mirror servers, even if a PHP mirror server might be closer to
them and deliver a faster download.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2013-02-22 16:46:51] [email protected]
Ryan, please use http://www.php.net/get/php-5.3.23.tar.bz2/from/this/mirror
style
urls.
These will give you the correct header and redirect you to the correct mirror
if
needed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2013-02-22 10:59:32] [email protected]
that sounds like a good compromise
(funnyfact: I've checked and trying to download a nonexistent release on apple
like iTunes will result in an empty 404 page, so they not showing that nice 404
page for the direct downloads)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[2013-02-22 10:44:32] php-bugs-2013 at ryandesign dot com
I have no objection to you making it easier for users to find your software on
your web site. But please do so in a way that does not increase the support
burden
for people trying to help your users install your software, namely me and other
people who maintain PHP in package management systems.
One solution would be to serve up a custom 404 page that says "The file you
requested was not found; go *here* for a list of available files," or some
other
wording for directing the user to the Releases page. Or even put links to the
latest releases on the 404 page. See how Apple does their 404 page:
http://apple.com/404notfound
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The remainder of the comments for this report are too long. To view
the rest of the comments, please view the bug report online at
https://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=64273
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