question for web site developers

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

06/08/2005 09:40:55 AM · #1

I just learned that a visitor to my site could do a directory listing of my image file directory, and then be able to download files by right-clicking. Is there any way I can prevent that from happening? I've already disabled right-clicking on the image pages themselves.

dunamis

Nikon D70

06/08/2005 09:42:08 AM · #2

Turn off directory browsing.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

06/08/2005 09:42:40 AM · #3

And/or put an index.html file in the image directory - that would pretty much stop it. ;)

M

ericsuth

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/08/2005 09:43:12 AM · #4

damn....mavrik beat me to it :P

just change your main linda's page name to index.htm instead of views_home.html

Message edited by author 2005-06-08 09:44:48.

dunamis

Nikon D70

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

06/08/2005 09:45:29 AM · #5

There's actually no way that you can prevent someone from downloading any image that they can view on a website - even disabling right clicking won't stop knowledgable people.

06/08/2005 09:47:36 AM · #6

The change is as simple as changing the name of my kickoff page? What's the technical explanation for how that works? If I do that, it locks all sub-directories too?

How do I turn off directory browsing?

ericsuth

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/08/2005 09:48:59 AM · #7

I seriously agree with dunamis. Just about everyone knows how to press print screen and paste into any image editor. Additionally, people can make their own html code to go out and grab anything given away on the net without all the javascript mumbojumbo. IMO, the best way to protect your pictures would be to put a big diagonal watermark across the image.

wewillexplore

Canon EOS-1D Mark II

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

06/08/2005 09:49:47 AM · #8

The technical explanation is that a site:

//www.me.com/images

Is really a directory, not a valid .html file (website).

However, if you have //www.me.com/images/index.html then the viewer is automatically directed to the index website instead of the directory even if they don't add the "index.html" onto it.

ericsuth

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

06/08/2005 09:50:25 AM · #9

yes, the easiest way is to change the filename. turning off the directory browsing is a management function you may or may not have direct access to.

cbonsall

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM for Canon

06/08/2005 09:52:06 AM · #10

changing the file name to index.htm works because, when you enter a directory without specifiying a specific file:

www.yourdomain/images/
rather than
www.yourdomain.com/images/myfrontpage.htm

it will attempt to find one fo the following files:
index.htm
default.htm
(there are others depending on what you have set up, but those are the main ones)

if it can't find one of these files, it will just open the directory, or if you have turned off directory browsing, it will show an "you are not authorised" page.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED

06/08/2005 09:52:25 AM · #11

Originally posted by ericsuth:

I do that for the prints I sell to the general public. However, for my artistic prints, I chose not to do that for cosmetic reasons. The files are also compressed and downsized to really small images so that printing a good quality image is possible only as a very small image. It's something I've thought a lot about, and I know the risk.

dunamis

Nikon D70

06/08/2005 09:52:37 AM · #12

Originally posted by mcrael:

The answer gets complicated and depends on the type of web server you use. Directory browsing is enabled/disabled in the web server configuration.
The reason putting an index.html file in the folder is most web servers will default to index.html or default.htm for the home page. If you index.html as your home page then your URL could be simply //www.literalexpressions.com/viewsbylinda/

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

06/08/2005 10:07:45 AM · #13

Thanks very much everyone. Very valuable information, me thinks....

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

06/08/2005 10:09:19 AM · #14

Originally posted by mcrael:

How do I turn off directory browsing?

Since you're on an Apache server you could put:

Options -Indexes

in your .htaccess file. This way you don't have to create a bunch of extra files.

06/08/2005 10:18:20 AM · #15

Actually, my web server provides the option to manage indexes, so now indexing is prevented. How cool.... And in the process, I also found the option that lets me password-protect a directory, so now I can implement that for customer photo galleries! Thanks everyone...

theSaj