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Re: bind mount to allow web server to access files outside of device with DocumentRoot

  • Subject: Re: bind mount to allow web server to access files outside of device with DocumentRoot
  • From: J C Nash <profjcnash [ at ] gmail [ dot ] com>
  • Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2019 10:48:42 -0400
Alex, Brett, others:

As Alex notes, I've not a good description of the underlying obstacle to web client
accessing material on server that is outside the "device" (or possibly it's "filesystem"
or "partition") where DocumentRoot is stored.

My working hypothesis is that this is due to a sensible security measure. It would be
useful to have succinct but functional documentation of how to deal properly with the
need to access SOME material outside the current device. The bind-mount solution works.
Is there a better way? I suspect yes. And some references to what restrictions are
imposed and where in the web server would be helpful. i.e., to more information if
needed.

Right now I've a set of several projects where my particular expertise is probably
better applied. e.g., my 1975 SVD algorithm I've managed to render essentially free of
termination tolerances, so work by NASA contractor S. Timmins can use extended precision
compilers without need to adjust the code. That's stuff few folk can do. That I can now
make material web-available across home network has removed a lot of the urgency with the
present issue. That's unfortunately the trouble with about 95% of forum material -- when
the solution is found, a lot of correspondents fail to report what they did so others
may benefit. Hence my wiki posting, for which additions welcome.

I'd guess I'm willing to delve a little more into this, but the time budget is of
the order of 1-2 hours. Perhaps we keep this as an item to bring up from time to time at
meetings or when there's an appropriate article to refer to the list.

Best, JN

On 2019-04-16 8:16 p.m., Alex Pilon wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 16, 2019 at 01:40:45PM -0400, J C Nash wrote:
>> I've put up some notes on this at
>>
>> https://wiki.linux-ottawa.org/doku.php?id=technical
>>
>> If anyone has comments/edits, please let us know. Can either do the edit or
>> provide a login.
> 
> It's a hack, not a solution to the real problem. However, it does pay to
> know about the mechanisms out there on Linux.
> 
> Let me know if you want some suggestions for good reading materials, for
> *some* topics.
> 

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