handlerURL returns 404 not found on apache2.4

[JOHN G HEIM]

Just rounding out this question from myself... The apache alias approach 
actually works. Somewhere, somehow, drupal was preventing the location 
/Shibboleth.sso from working. It was returning a 404 not found error. So 
all of shibboleth authentication was not working. Instead of digging 
around in the drupal configuration (which is spread out all over the 
place, btw), I tried configuring an alias. I was getting a GET/POST loop 
but that was due to a different configuration error. Once I resolved the 
mistake that was causing the loop, shib works fine.


In otherwords, you can do this:


alias /Shibboleth.sso /var/www/html

<Location /Shibboleth.sso>

  set handler shib

</Location>


On 8/20/19 12:34 PM, John G Heim wrote:
> I am trying to get shibboleth2 working on an apache2.4 server that is 
> also running drupal7. I have a web app outside the drupal space that I 
> need to protect. The problem is that something in drupal seems to be 
> preventing the handlerURL from working. I have the handlerURL set to 
> /Shibboleth.sso but if I point a browser there, I get a 404 not found 
> error message. I can get the handlerURL to work by assigning an alias 
> to it but then I get the dreaded GET/POST loop. This configuration 
> gives me the file not found error:
>
> <Location /Shibboleth.sso>
>   SetHandler shib
>   Require all granted
>   AuthType None
> </Location>
>
> This config makes a URL like 
> https://my.domain.edu/Shibboleth.sso/Status work but after 
> authenticating, I get a loop:
>
> alias /Shibboleth.sso /var/www/html
> <Location /Shibboleth.sso>
>   SetHandler shib
>   Require all granted
>   AuthType None
> </Location>
>
> I know this is an apache question but it must have come up before for 
> people configuring shib on apache. I don't understand why apache needs 
> an alias in order to honor the setHandler directive in a Location. And 
> I am assuming that it is that alias that is somehow causing the loop.
>
-- 
John G. Heim, jheim at math.wisc.edu, 608-263-4189