Hi I am quite new to this whole thing. I was wondering if anyone had any info on how to run a secure site. I set up the whole passworded folder thing, I just don't know how to make a page like yahoo has for instance for someone to sign in and it somehow be connected to those passworded folders. Is there any type of reading or posts or learning places someone could refer me to.
Thanks,
Micah

If you have a linux account then you can use a .htaccess file to secure your folder. More infos here:
http://www.javascriptkit.com/howto/htaccess3.shtml

I have a Windows account with helm control panel however I believe that it uses the same .htaccess file when I add that feature to a folder. My question is how do I let someone sign in and see those pages? Does anyone have any books they recommend for doing web site security programming or any info on the web concerning this.
Thanks,
Micah

Not books, but you can Hire me to design your infastructure.

Jason

Thanks for the offer Jason but I could afford to have you do all that I would like to do on my site; furthermore, I want to know for myself. So give me the reference to the books or I will continually make these faces at you

Consequently I have tried some things out. I created a .htaccess file and added it to the directories that I want the pop up dialog box asking for a user name and password to appear; however, I am not seeing the results I had hoped for. i.e. no dialog box is poping up. Here is what the file contained basically,

AuthType Basic
AuthName "Have You Requested a User Name and Password"
AuthUserFile /secure
AuthName EnterPassword
require user require valid-user

Will this work with a Windows HELM based system. Does anyone know what might be wrong?

Books, well most all the good ones are by O'Reily & Assoc.

Errm.. hrmmm.. uhh... Windows.. Dunno. Do .htaccess files work with IIS? Also just as an error I can see from the *nix side of an htaccess file, the path to your authfile needs to be absolute, so maybe something like c:\wwwroot\yourname\somefolder\passwords\pass.txt ????

Windows... ugh..

Any particular reason for the windows hosting?

Jason

maybe the windows servers use apache too?
(i know that exist a version of apache for win32 out there)

Yes its possible to run apache in a windows environment, just figured if you are using windows, you would probably use IIS. Running apache on windows wouldnt seem like you would gain ANYTHING out of the deal. Same httpd as linux, same capabilities(even less sometimes) than linux... if it was IIS, there might be advantages for people that needed its Features..

I'm pretty sure that they are running IIS 6.0 on the Windows Servers though.

Jason

I needed the windows hosting for the asp measures that some of my clients wanted. Are there linux alternatives to asp?

Also I figured that I could run both once I get enough sites. I have enough sites for the windows hosting to pay the monthly; however, I would need two more paying customers to run a linux one as well. Part of not running an apache server as well comes from my in experience with linux. I have a linux box at home right now that I am learning on. It has Red 7.2 on it. I am enjoying learning it but coming from my dos win 3.1 95 98 nt win 2000 background it is quite hard to get used to and my main machine has win2000 on it as of now. linux is just a bit foreign for me. I guess that is why!

Well from a web side of the spectrum, Linux is no different to learn than Windows, you use FTP to upload files to both, they both have "control panels" etc...

Now as far as there being an an alternative to ASP... Well.. Do you mean, can linux accounts here run ASP, if so the answer is NO. Now if you learn PHP, it does everything ASP can do+++... There are thousands if not millions of books written on the subject, countless PHP tutorials online for everything from the basics to the most Hardcore advanced features. PHP is also portable. Lets say you run into problems with the Windows servers stability (not too uncommon if you read the posts here) and decide to come to the dark side of the force with us. You will now need to rewrite everything. If you start with PHP you can change hosts, operating systems etc and nobody would know the difference, there would only be MINOR rewrites of paths, and some variables... You can use PHP on windows, I'd suggest using it at the very least instead of ASP so you will be more portable in the future. If you come over to linux, you will be surprised at the feature set a *nix host can offer.

Its good to see more people experimenting with trying to learn at least some basics of *nix. As a desktop operating system, Windows/MacOS by far has the game. They are simple to install/setup/use, but what you gain in ease of use, you loose in control. I personally run WinXP as a desktop OS because of its ease of use, and the program set that is available for it. For a server OS, windows still has not quite hit the mark, hard as they try. *nix server OS's also have a few years and a few million more developers than Microsofts OS, so its not a apple/apple comparison either.

Mmm.. Opensource...
Jason

Jason I like that idea of php. I have heard some things about it but haven't taken the time to look into it. Now that you put it that way though it looks like I don't have the choice other than to look into it.

As far as linux is concerned. I love the idea of open source. I love the fact that if I wanted I could learn everything this is to know about linux os that I install on my machine and change it and make it my own. This also helps ease my conspiracy theories of what some code might be doing if you aren't allowed to see it. ie windows and mac. Sorry I just don't like the idea of not knowing if they have hidden stuff that is recording my every action and sending out secret reports. Who knows if it really happens or not. Be that as it may I just like the feeling I get inside when I get to have the raw code of linux and compile it myself. Also the ease of install is getting pretty amazing. Every year it gets better and better. I think in the next few years you might see it easy enough that more win users take the chance of transferring over. I mean it is free to try and free to buy, so they aren't really risking anything, and most people are in the stage of buying their 2nd or 3rd comp so it is a good time to reformat that old comp. and put a cool new os on it.

Power to the Poople...open source rocks.

Unfortunately I still do not have an answer to my question of how the heck do I get password verification to work on my web with a Windows server using helm. If I only knew.

I'll look into it for you... Answer a couple questions.

1) Just one user or many?

2) if many, how many (estimate)

3) does it need to be automated? (buy subscription online etc)

Jason

Alright well I want the ability for many

Maybe 100-1000

yes automation would be great.

Well, all I can find about users in an IIS environment is that its not simple.

There seems to be some programs out there that do this as an addon to IIS, I'm sure that hostony has some sort of program installed that will let users setup security etc... How about it Hostony? Anything there they can use on windows?

If you dont get a response here, submit a ticket.

Jason

I submitted a ticket. I am not sure they understand what I am trying to do. Hey do you think if I gave you a user name and password like you were one of my clients and I will just put one of my many generic domains under it if you could check it out. That way you wouldn't be trying to see it through my words which aren't the greatest at making pictures.
Thanks,
Micah

If you have a resellers account, yeah that would work. you could just make a plan for me and I should be able to figure it out... maybe

If you use AIM/ICQ/MSN/Yahoo you can reach me that way..

Aim: jasonjonesxj
ICQ: 11527667
MSN: pr0ntab@hotmail.com
Yahoo: jasonjonesxj

Jason