Configuring your WWW server with the PUT method

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) defines a PUT method as the mechanism allowing a WWW client to transfer a file to a WWW server. Amaya uses the W3C Reference Library implementation of HTTP to publish documents by means of this protocol method. As of today, not many WWW servers support the PUT method. Both the CERN server and Jigsaw support this method and it's possible to configure Apache too.

Configuring the Apache server for a PUT

The following may help those who are wishing to use the HTTP PUT method on an Apache-based server with PHP (v. 5) available.

This scenario supports access to a single server directory with a fixed password-list. Adaptation to use a proper user/password database is left as an exercise for the reader.

• First, a utility file to support HTTP digest authentication, which can be located in the target directory (or a common PHP include directory if you can set one up): dowload and rename dauth.php
• Second, in the directory concerned, place the following PHP script: download and rename put.php
• Third, store the following .htaccess file in the target directory, replacing '/path-to-target-directory' with the domain-relative path (e.g. if a target file can be read at http://mydomain/x/y/z.html, then the /path-to-target-directory would be '/x/y'): download and rename .htaccess

Thanks to CPK Smithies who provides this clue.

For more information

• Overview of a PUT operation
• Configuring the CERN for a PUT
• Read Web Publishing using HTTP PUT
• How APACHE supports PUT