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Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#1 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 2:54 PM
Default Direct linking from other sites
Hi All,

It was brought to my attention that various external sites and groups are linking directly to hacks and files posted in the beta testers forum, as opposed to the specific threads involved.

While this is not a problem bandwidth wise, it does bring up possible problems regarding the actual information provided to people when they download. Somebody seeing a direct file link on another site could click, download, and then not have a clue what it does or even that the files are beta only and could have negative impacts on thier game.

To that end, I've turned on hotlink protection for zip and rar files on MTS2. What does this mean? Well, hotlink protection essentially stops people directly linking to the files themselves from external sites. Normally it would stop there and give you an error, but I've taken it one step further.

Now, when you enter a url that goes straight into e107_files/public/ it's intercepted, the forums and downloads are then searched for the specific file you are looking for, and then you are taking straight to the thread or download involved.

This means that people expecting to get a file download will instead be presented with the actual *proper* thread or download screen where they can get more information about the file they are about to download. This will actually help external sites too since all the information is presented on MTS2.

Please note that file links within the forums and any links on the MTS2 site itself will continue to function normally - the only links affected are those coming direct from external sites.

Hope this explains everything. Feel free to leave a comment if you have a question.

Regards
Delphy
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Test Subject
#2 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 3:40 PM
wow! you are like BRILLIANT! did you create the code or can you tell me where to find it? i help several friends with small time bbs boards as well as phpnuke. thanks for all ya do!
Test Subject
#3 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 4:36 PM
I suggest to other and also the admins should suggest that people link directly to the pages instead of the downloads. It takes you to the same place but if you link to the file, the site has to look for and what not and that takes up cpu stuff. I'm sure that isn't a problem but it one day it could be, since this is the BEST modding site in the world. :-D
Test Subject
#4 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 4:36 PM
Hi,
I have been trying to download some files directly at the forum and just keep going around in circles, clik the file go back to the page.. clik the file save as gets me a html page of the forum... Is this just my problem? or am I doing something wrong since you changed settings?

TIA
Leesa
Test Subject
#5 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 4:54 PM
Great approach to the issue, Delphy. Thanks for taking the time to figure out a wa to do it, for the sake of those who need the proper info...
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#6 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 5:25 PM
Leesa,

The only thing I can think of is that the HTTP_REFERER is getting munged somewhere along the line.

Do you use a download accelerator? What about a firewall?

ultraspy,

It's no biggie. Just mod_rewrite and a PHP script to lookup stuff in the database.

Thanks everybody else
Test Subject
#7 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 5:29 PM
Nice one Delph, you da man! *big pat on back*
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 5:30 PM
good work delphy... smash all the linking llamas!
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 5:32 PM
you should put that the downloads are now left click only.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#10 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 5:42 PM
Okay I've pulled the script for now till I can work on the right click bug
Guest
#11 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 9:04 PM
Help, I can't download!!! It's like leesac says you just go around and around but you get nowhere. I love this site, Please Help Me!!!!!!!!!!!!
Test Subject
#12 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 9:09 PM
Or you could just make it so that you have to be logged in to d/l the files. That would stop sites from doing that as well. Still, you came up with a good solution.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#13 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 9:14 PM
I'd just like to point out that file redirection is currently NOT turned on. So any problems you currently have are nothing to do with this particular news post
Guest
#14 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 9:19 PM
Hey my bad. My firewall was stopping the downloads. Not sure why because I've never had that problem before. Sorry I did'nt check the problem more carefully. Great SITE!!!
Test Subject
#15 Old 19th Nov 2004 at 10:27 PM
For Norton Internet Security/Personal Firewall users, you need to add the following sites to your "Privacy Control"/Advanced settings:

modthesims2.com
www.modthesims2.com

then for both, you must select permit under "information to visited sites".

Or, you can turn off Privacy Control completely, which will affect all sites.

Great website BTW.
Instructor
#16 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 3:25 AM
I am having trouble now too. I do not have a firewall. I have allowed Pop Ups for Modthesims2 through MSN browser and am still having trouble. This is the first time this has happened.
Instructor
#17 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 5:06 AM
Yeah. First time it's happend for me too. Everytime I click the download, it reloads the homepage. I can't download anything.
Guest
#18 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 8:39 AM
I have the same problem with looping to the homepage every time i try to download something. I didn't have a problem before the links to the public files or whatever were changed.
Guest
#19 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 9:52 AM
i cant actually download any zip files on the forums now, i have to download the zip to a temp folder, then unzip it to a diff folder, which is confusing and sucks!
Test Subject
#20 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 10:14 AM
"Yeah. First time it's happend for me too. Everytime I click the download, it reloads the homepage. I can't download anything."

ditto
Lab Assistant
#21 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 10:40 AM
Very nicely done. mod_rewrite is so cool; I wish you could use it without having to own your own server. :/
Instructor
#22 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 3:26 PM
I have disable my virus scan mcafee, allowed pop ups and disabled the firewall if found for windows. I still cannot download anything. Does anyone have any other suggestions. Thanks
Guest
#23 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 5:31 PM
Delphy - you may think you have removed the change you made, but take it from me that you havn't. Some part of it MUST still be hanging about, or the fix removal has not been activated.
This is being written in friendship, not in criticism. I have worked n I.T. for years, and the number of times I have said 'it cannot be what I have done'! If there has been a change then it has to be the prime suspect, however strongly the coder cannot believe it. OK, very occassionally it does turn out to be something else, but it is rare.
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#24 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 7:27 PM
Yup Heather, even thought the .htaccess and the script where both deleted, apache was still caching the old one in memory so thats what caused the problems, and apparently it doesn't clear it out on a apachectl restart.

I just did a full shutdown of both apache and mysql and it's back to normal now

Apologies for all that!
Warrior Gryphon
site owner
Original Poster
#25 Old 20th Nov 2004 at 7:52 PM
Okay for those of you who had problems, I need your help.

Please see http://www.modthesims2.com/forum_viewtopic.php?24.19203

Thanks
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