Topic: External Server Manager Access

[besterl]

I am not sure this is a bug, thus the post here and not in the bugtracker.

Running SME 7.1.3 (Yes I know I should update) and changed my public IP address.

Everything is working perfectly except one annoying detail.

Whenever I access the server manager from external - eg. http://IP.address/server-manager it gives me

Page cannot be found.

Now I know I should access it as https://IP.address/server-manager, but since version 7 of SME it automatically forwarded the http://IP.Address/server-manager to https://IP.Address/server-manager.

OK - No Big Problem - So I enter (as I am supposed to) https://IP.Address/server-manager and voila - I get prompted (as it's supposed to) about the Security Certificate.  I click "Continue To This Website" and get the Login screen.

Now here is where fun starts.  I log in using the correct username / password and the server manager now should start loading.

(UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES)

Instead I get the - NOW MADDENING - Webpage Not found message.

I look at the address bar and see that the address has been changed back to http://IP.Address/server-manager/

I insert an s so I have https://IP.Address/server-manager/ and Voila - I can access the server manager.

My initial reaction is a thought that this is just MS Internet Explorer doing it's Gates tricks.

I try on another machine with IE, then Mozilla and even the new Safari Browser - same results.

I know it is not a show stopper, but it might give me the chance to improve my knowledge a little - and maybe some other guys in the future as well.

PS :
I did search the forums - could not find a similar error.
I did check my /etc/e-smith/templates as well as custom-templates - No changes there - Last changes there are abt 6 months ago.
I re-expanded the templates just in case - still no go.

My Logic tells me (I MIGHT VERY WELL BE WRONG) that this kind of re-direction should happen on an apache level. I have checked my httpd files - and all are unachanged -dates of approx May 2007

Please think about it a little - and give me some hints as to where this sod can look next to find a resolution to this minor irritation

[janet]

besterl

Perhaps your sme server's cache is giving out a old/wrong address to all browsers on your network.
Flush squid cache, search here/in the FAQ for how to do that.

[besterl]

OK - Guys - a quick update.

I solved my first portion of my problem - my BAD - my very very bad.

Port 80 is forwarded to an internal machine - thus the page not found.

The second part still exist though - Even if I access the server on https://IP.Address/server-manager I still get pushed to http://IP.Address/server-manager after I login.

Thanks for your time reading this - hope somebody else will not make the mistake.

Any ideas on my second error??

[besterl]

Hi Mary

Thanks for the quick reply

I have tried that - did not work.

I appreciate your input.

Thanks

[Normando]

besterl, you must create an SSH tunnel if you are outside LAN.

Look at:

http://wiki.contribs.org/Updating_to_SME_7.2#Remote_Administration_using_SSH_Tunnels

and

http://forums.contribs.org/index.php?topic=37887.0

[imcintyre]

I infer from your first post that you had it working before, which means that you have allowed public access to the server. I'm not an expert but that might not be the wisest course of action.

I had a similar problem with IE v7 and my web site which was https only. It worked ok with Firefox. If you had it working before and are using IE v7 you will need to allow cookies for your new ip address and then delete your browsing history. Try this. If you don't know how, ask.

If my inference is also right you should follow the previous post and create an ssh tunnel or a vpn tunnel with openvpn contrib or something similarly secure. <~~not an xpert

[janet]

besterl

Did you forward port 443 somewhere ?

[besterl]

besterl

Did you forward port 443 somewhere ?

Hi Guys and Gals,

Port 443 is not forwarded and I have very specifically restricted the external access to a very small range of IP's.

I know I can use the VPN tunnels etc, but it is simplicity of the whole thing that I am after.

The server manager in itself is working; ONCE you put the s back in https.

The problem is very simply the redirection after the login.

I do not know if there is a db entry that specifies this or if it is a script.  If it is a script - Does anyone know where the login script / files for server-manager are located.

I know it is not the primary i-bay.

[besterl]

I infer from your first post that you had it working before, which means that you have allowed public access to the server. I'm not an expert but that might not be the wisest course of action.

I had a similar problem with IE v7 and my web site which was https only. It worked ok with Firefox. If you had it working before and are using IE v7 you will need to allow cookies for your new ip address and then delete your browsing history. Try this. If you don't know how, ask.

If my inference is also right you should follow the previous post and create an ssh tunnel or a vpn tunnel with openvpn contrib or something similarly secure. <~~not an xpert

Hi iMcintyre, I have tried this from various machines, and like I said with different browsers.  The error is purely in the redirection after the login.

Thanks

[besterl]

Hi Everyone.

I eventually (after reading some posts in the bugtracker) decided to upgrade to 7.3 and the problem is solved.

If any of the experts would like to volunteer some info on how the redirect script work it would still be appreciated.

Thanks a stack for all the replies.