How to stop RewriteEngine/PHP redirect loop? - php

Question

The task seems very simple:
all requests must be passed through one file.
However,
when following code is added to httpd.conf:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php?route=$1 [QSA,R=301,L]
and following code is added to /index.php:
if( isset($_GET["route"]) && $_GET["route"] != "/index.php" ){
header("Location: ".$_GET["route"]);
}
then it causes redirect loop!
Causes for example such loop:
www.site.com/image.jpg -> (redirected by httpd.conf)
www.site.com/index.php?route=/image.jpg -> (redirected by index.php)
www.site.com/image.jpg -> (redirected by httpd.conf)
www.site.com/index.php?route=/image.jpg -> (redirected by index.php)
...
So, the question is following:
How to stop this loop?
To stop for example in such way:
www.site.com/image.jpg -> (redirected by httpd.conf)
www.site.com/index.php?route=/image.jpg -> (redirected by index.php)
www.site.com/image.jpg (no further redirection)

Answer 1

This one is a bit of patch, but I think it works.
httpd.conf:
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} !^(.*)a=a$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*) index.php?route=$1 [QSA,L]
index.php:
<?php
if( isset($_GET["route"]) && $_GET["route"] != "/index.php" ){
header("Location: ".$_GET["route"].'?a=a');
}
The thing is: First time the rewrite engine redirects the page to index.php. Then, in index.php there's a redirection to the same file but adding parameter a=a. Then rewrite engine comes again, but he has orders of not redirect when found the string a=a in the query string, and there's no further redirection.
Of course this will end in a 404 error, since you're filtering only non-existant files with the first two rewritecond, but I guess you know how to deal with that.

Answer 2

Your rule looks fine but R=301 is a bit odd in your rule as you don't want to expose your internal URL in browser.
However PHP code is looking suspect due to this condition:
$_GET["route"] != "/index.php"
Which will always be true since /index.php itself will not be routed through this rule due to these conditions:
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-f
Hence your code will cause a redirect loop by continuously redirecting using header function.
I suggest keep your rule like this:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^(.+)$ /index.php?route=$1 [QSA,L]
And your PHP code should just check presence of $_GET['route'] but should not do any redirects.

Answer 3

First, put this to .htaccess file, not in httpd.conf
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php [QSA,R=301,L]
Then, remove this redirect from your index.php file. You can get all your variables via $_GET or $_REQUEST.

Answer 4

What a senseless solutions. Of course it will cause redirect loop. In the RewriteCond-s you trying to catch files and dirs names that not exists in the server file system, and then you trying to pass their names to the index.php in which you make to request them again, again and again.

Answer 5

There is a single boilerplate that may come in handy, it should be placed on the top, after RewriteEngine on condition:
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{ENV:REDIRECT_STATUS} !^[\s/]*$
RewriteRule ^ - [L]
An env was added, it works by theory, however I have tested it only once, see if it can solve the issue.

Answer 6

Why are you putting this:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ /index.php?route=$1 [QSA,R=301,L]
In httpd.conf? You need to place this into file called .htaccess, create it into your root directory.