Force a URL to Use HTTPS

Feb 28

ClaudeHow-To, Protocol, Security , , , , , 2 Comments

Today I came across some old ColdFusion & Mach-II (1.0) code where a plugin was used to force HTTPS. I assume the original developer decided to go with this solution because the target environment was Windows and Internet Information Server.

The task becomes a lot easier under Apache. So I threw away the plugin code and added the following rule to the Apache configuration:

<directory "/public_html/mysite.com">
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
RewriteRule ^(.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}/$1	[R,L]
</directory>

The directive above can be placed inside a VirtualHost or Directory directives, but this usually requires access to the Apache server configuration, which is not typically possible in a shared hosting environment — in that case, the rule can be added to the .htaccess file.

Alternatively we could have used the SSLRequireSSL Apache (2.x) directive, but this would only block access to the non HTTPS address. In our case we want to automatically redirect the users instead of displaying an error message.

TED Talks: Beyond the Crisis, Mindboggling Science and the Arrival of Homo Evolutis

Feb 20

ClaudePresentation, Video , , , , 1 Comment

Even as mega-banks topple, Juan Enriquez says the big reboot is yet to come. But don’t look for it on your ballot — or in the stock exchange. It’ll come from science labs, and it promises keener bodies and minds. Our kids are going to be … different.

FREE Thesis Template: Strange Little Town

Feb 12

ClaudeFramework, WordPress , , , , 1 Comment

Strange Little Town

This template is based on a WordPress theme by Minmin. Unfortunately the original theme doesn’t behave uniformly across multiple browsers. Don’t worry, that’s where Thesis comes in.

How Much?

It’s FREE. All I ask is that you leave the attribution link in the footer intact to link back to this site.

If you who already own Thesis, download the template (from SVN or as a zip file) and replace your custom folder with its contents. For more details see the README.txt file part of the distribution.

Don’t Know Enough About Thesis?

Learn all about it here then click “Get Thesis” to buy it today.

My TODO List for 2009

Feb 10

ClaudePersonal No Comments

SQL Server Guru Denis Gobo tagged me on New Year’s eve and I totally missed it. Here is my list for 2009:

More

iTunes Crashes During Sync Post 2.2.1 Upgrade – FIX

Feb 03

ClaudeHardware, How-To , , , , , , 1 Comment

ITunes began crashing on Super Bowl Sunday after I upgraded my iPod Touch to the latest firmware, version 2.2.1 — Since then I have reinstalled iTunes, did a factory restore of the iPod to no avail.

A few minutes ago I was looking through the Apple discussion groups and came across this fix by Jeff McCord. It is a simple one when you think about it:

  1. Deauthorize your computer
  2. Authorize it again
  3. Visit the App Store and “Buy” a free app
  4. Sync up

I am a happy camper again. All my music, movies, videos and audio books are back!

Ext-JS Conference 2009, April 14-16 in Orlando, FL

Feb 03

ClaudeExt JS , , , No Comments

Ext-JS has announced their 1st Annual Ext Conference and Ext 3.0 release party on April 14 to 16, 2009 in Orlando, Florida! Join Jack and the Core Development Team for an intense 3-day conference exploring all of the new features packed into Ext 3.0. Discover best practices for building applications and connect with other members of the Ext Community. The conference provides sessions which will be of interest to all parties involved in application development including managers, designers, developers and application architects.

New Book: Learning Ext-JS

Dec 09

ClaudeBook, Ext JS, JavaScript , , , , No Comments

Steve “Cutters” Blades’ book on Ext-JS is out.

By using a series of straightforward examples backed by screenshots, Learning Ext JS will help you create web applications that look good and perform beyond the expectations of your users. This book is written for Web Application Developers who are familiar with HTML but may have little to no experience with JavaScript application development. If you are starting to build a new web application, or are re-vamping an existing web application, then this book is for you.

Get your copy today.

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