Introduction

This small module implements the HTTP/1.1 PUT and DELETE methods with Apache 2.x. Please notice that it can be a big security hole to activate them without securing the web server.

Download mod_put-2.0.tar.gz

Configuration

Integration with Apache 2.x - compiling and linking

1. Untar mod_put-2.0.tar.gz anywhere you wish
2. Edit the Makefile file and change the path to /apache2/bin/apxs according your installation
3. Build the module by typing make
4. Install the binary with make install
5. If you want the load command automatically added to your httpd.conf then type make installfirst
6. Restart Apache2.

Example of a Configuration file

...

LoadModule negotiation_module  modules/mod_negotiation.o
LoadModule includes_module     modules/mod_include.o
LoadModule dir_module          modules/mod_dir.o
LoadModule cgi_module          modules/mod_cgi.o
...

#
# Miscellaneous modules
#

LoadModule put_module          modules/mod_put.o

httpd.conf Directives

PUT_EnablePut On|Off
default value: Off
context: Directory or Location
effect: Enables (or disables) the PUT method.
remarks: Before enabling the PUT method, be sure your server is secure.

Documents will be created with the rights of the user running httpd, be sure to adjust the access rights accordingly.
PUT_EnableDelete On|Off
default value: Off
context: Directory or Location
effect: Enables (or disables) the DELETE method.
remarks: Before enabling the DELETE method, be sure your server is secure.
PUT_DirMask apr_fileperms_t value
default value: APR_UREAD|APR_UWRITE|APR_UEXECUTE
context: Directory or Location
effect: sets the permission for a whole directory (see APR).
PUT_FileMask apr_fileperms_t value
default value: APR_UREAD|APR_UWRITE
context: Directory or Location
effect: sets the permission for a single file.
PUT_BlockSize decimal value
default value: 2048
context: Directory or Location
effect: sets the internal blocksize used by the module for file buffers.

Allways ensure that write access is limited to trusted users: a malicious user could upload huge files to freeze the file system. In particular, never allow an anonymous write access if your web server is on the same filesystem as your system or your users.

Example

<Location /pub>
EnablePut On
AuthType Basic
AuthName Web publishing
AuthUserFile /www/etc/passwd
AuthGroupFile /www/etc/group
<Limit PUT>
require valid-user
</Limit>
</Location>

Remarks

1. The Publish function of Netscape Gold 3.01 sometimes doesn't work: it returns quickly without any error message nor access to server.
2. Depending on the rights you assigned to webuser (the user owning the httpd process), uploaded files can be inaccessible for local users (quite benefic), including the web administrator (definitely not a good idea), so adjust the umask adequately.
3. I've not personnaly tested the EBCDIC support (thanks to Carolyn Weiss for EBCDIC patch), so if you experience problems with it, I'd be happy to ear about it.

Software which supports the PUT method

• All Netscape versions with the composer component
• All newer Mozilla browsers with publish function
• W3C Amaya Open Source Editor/Browser: http://www.w3.org/Amaya/
• W3C have also some command line utilities: http://www.w3.org/Library/Distribution.html
• there's a simple java PUT utility called Winie available: http://jigsaw.w3.org/Winie/