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Q186803: Browsing Folders with Script-Mapped Extensions Returns Errors

Article: Q186803
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 09-NOV-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Server version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

If you try to browse folders with extensions that are script-mapped, one of the
following errors occurs:

- HTTP 404

- HTTP 403

- Source code is returned to the browser.

- Other script/server errors are returned to the browser.

CAUSE
=====

In general, it is bad practice to name a folder using an extension that is
MIME-mapped, but this holds especially true for scripted extensions. This is
because it is common to pass information to a Web script that will be included
as part of the PATH_INFO environment variable.

For example, a CGI program at the URL http://localhost/foo.cgi/default.htm
receives "/foo.cgi/default.htm" in PATH_INFO.

WORKAROUND
==========

To work around this problem, name Web folders without extensions, or use
extensions that are not script-mapped.

MORE INFORMATION
================

On a system with a CGI-based Practical Extraction and Report Language (Perl)
interpreter, save the following Perl script as "env.cgi" in your default
"/scripts" folder.

     print "Content-type: text/plain\n\n";
     print "<html>\n";
     print "<body>\n";
     print "<pre>\n";
     print "CONTENT_LENGTH:  ",$ENV{'CONTENT_LENGTH'},"\n";
     print "PATH_INFO:       ",$ENV{'PATH_INFO'},"\n";
     print "PATH_TRANSLATED: ",$ENV{'PATH_TRANSLATED'},"\n";
     print "QUERY_STRING:    ",$ENV{'QUERY_STRING'},"\n";
     print "REMOTE_ADDR:     ",$ENV{'REMOTE_ADDR'},"\n";
     print "REMOTE_HOST:     ",$ENV{'REMOTE_HOST'},"\n";
     print "REMOTE_USER:     ",$ENV{'REMOTE_USER'},"\n";
     print "REQUEST_METHOD:  ",$ENV{'REQUEST_METHOD'},"\n";
     print "SCRIPT_NAME:     ",$ENV{'SCRIPT_NAME'},"\n";
     print "SERVER_NAME:     ",$ENV{'SERVER_NAME'},"\n";
     print "SERVER_PORT:     ",$ENV{'SERVER_PORT'},"\n";
     print "SERVER_PROTOCOL: ",$ENV{'SERVER_PROTOCOL'},"\n";
     print "SERVER_SOFTWARE: ",$ENV{'SERVER_SOFTWARE'},"\n";
     print "</pre>\n";
     print "</body>\n";
     print "</html>\n";

When you browse to http://localhost/scripts/env.cgi/test.htm, you see the
PATH_INFO environment variable reflect the information passed to the script as
"/env.cgi/test.htm".

Additional query words: mapp kbDotCom

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbiis400
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbprb
Solution Type     : kbpending

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