Re^3: Perl HTTP proxy experts

According to the Browser Security Handbook, it's not possible for websites to redirect to file: URLs. The rationale is explained a bit in the section "URL scheme access rules" just before the linked section.

Since you've already got a working HTTP server, why not serve the file over that, via a special URL?

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Re^4: Perl HTTP proxy experts by gregaiken (Initiate) on Sep 19, 2014 at 21:09 UTC
last evening, i was finally able to find a program that allowed me to monitor the TCP flow on my localhost (between my web browser and this Perl proxy program). Wireshark can not do this, but an app called RawCap can. I saved the *.pcap log file, opened it in Wireshark and applied the proper filter 'tcp.port eq 8888' and it revealed the stream. I saw a properly formatted HTTP redirect was in fact sent - so that then lead me down the same path you came up with. i started to search to see what most browsers would do in this situation. i found the exact same document that you referenced, and read that indeed no normally available browsers will make a request to a local file in response to a redirect. so yes, another approach will need to be taken. Either my Perl proxy program will need to directly send the file using HTTP, or i can install a local web browser and simply redirect to my local web server's html folder. thanks for your help - as this was driving me batty. now i know the direction i need to take!	[reply]

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Re^4: Perl HTTP proxy experts
by gregaiken (Initiate) on Sep 19, 2014 at 21:09 UTC

last evening, i was finally able to find a program that allowed me to monitor the TCP flow on my localhost (between my web browser and this Perl proxy program). Wireshark can not do this, but an app called RawCap can. I saved the *.pcap log file, opened it in Wireshark and applied the proper filter 'tcp.port eq 8888' and it revealed the stream. I saw a properly formatted HTTP redirect was in fact sent - so that then lead me down the same path you came up with. i started to search to see what most browsers would do in this situation. i found the exact same document that you referenced, and read that indeed no normally available browsers will make a request to a local file in response to a redirect. so yes, another approach will need to be taken. Either my Perl proxy program will need to directly send the file using HTTP, or i can install a local web browser and simply redirect to my local web server's html folder.

thanks for your help - as this was driving me batty. now i know the direction i need to take!

[reply]