[Zope] 500 error from windows only!

[Oliver Bleutgen]

Oliver Bleutgen wrote:
> Gregory Dudek wrote:
> 
>>   Synopsis: only windows users are getting a 500 error when they
>> should get a login screen!
>>
>>   I'm running a zope site and using the (deprecated but easy)
>> Generic User Folder for cookie mode login (although that product
>> may not be the issue).
>>
>>   Many (all?) users from explorer on windows currently get a 500 
>> Server Error when they get to a page that needs authentication.
>>   Users from any "normal" OS like linux or MacOS (9 or X) using
>> either netscape, explorer or mozilla get a nice normal login
>> screen.
>>
>>   How is it possible the only windows users are getting the 500 error
>> screen and might anybody have a hint re. how to fix this?  There is 
>> nothing interesting in the logs.
>>
>>   If you want to see this for yourself, it's visible at:
>>      http://www.mudcritters.com
>> (it's a not-for profit kids gaming site that's suppoed to sneak
>> them educational material.)
>>
>>   Thanks, Greg
> 
> 
> 
> Hi Greg,
> 
> just checked with tcpwatch (-> 
> http://hathaway.freezope.org/Software/TCPWatch , nice tool)
> because of the braindead IE built in error pages.
> 
> Ok, to your problem.
> At first, you don't get the 500 "internal server error" only in IE, you 
> get it with every browser!
> What IE does is apruptly closing the connection after something less 
> than around 1500 bytes or so (I assume it's one TCP packet, so YMMV 
> depending on your MTU).
> Mozilla just receives the data and renders the result, i.e. your login 
> page.
> What browser does the right thing now - I don't know - but I expect IE 
> to be wrong, because the client should IIRC display the stuff the server 
> sends.
> But IE doesn't do that anyway - which badly sucks, anybody an idea how 
> to turn that off?
> OTOH moz doesn't indicate the error, also not ideal IMO.
> 
> How to fix:
> I assume the right way might be that your user folder shouldn't return 
> an internal server error when just redirecting to the login page, but I 
> don't know if this is easily fixable. But sending an 500 response seems 
> wrong to me.
> 
> cheers,
> oliver
> 


Replying to myself,

in internet explorer, go to
Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced

and uncheck
"Show friendly HTTP error messages"
(man, that sounds soooo dumb)

you'll see you login page, because you just turned off the mess about 
which I complained above.

But certainly this is not the solution you are looking for.

cheers,
oliver