Https issue for DSpace 7
Kenney Guo
Hi everyone. Can anyone give me some directions regarding the “https” issue with DSpace?
From my understanding, the newest DSpace 7 would require https at the production level. I am not able to access the DSpace server from another computer if only using http.
My questions:
I am wondering whether we can use DSpace 7 purely under http context (i.e. removing the code where https is a must), because we only use DSpace on our private network for my department and we don't really need the security provided by https.
I haven't found any documents on how to configure the https for DSpace (on docker). My understanding is that I might need an Nginx container and then use the docker-compose to integrate Nginx with other components of DSpace on docker. I am wondering whether I am in the right direction. Do you guys have any documents that I can refer to? (So far I haven’t found any DSpace docker image at the production level.)
Thank you very much for your help!
Kenney Guo
Tim Donohue
These questions were also answered on Slack, but for completion I'll copy the answers in here.
- If you are planning on accessing/running the UI from a non-localhost URL, then HTTPS is required for the backend (only). This is required because most modern web browsers will otherwise block (cross domain) cookies from being passed from the backend to UI running in your frontend...and if cookies are blocked, then you will be unable to login via the UI. (In other words, it is possible to run both the frontend and backend via HTTP, but ONLY if you use "localhost" URLs for everything.)
- Regarding how to configure HTTPS... your understanding is correct that HTTPS is configured at the web server level. Some sites choose to run Apache webserver and proxy requests to Nginx/Tomcat (where the DSpace backend/REST API is running). In that situation, you'd configure HTTPS in your Apache webserver. If you don't want to run Apache, then it is also possible to configure HTTPS at the Nginx/Tomcat level... you should consult their documentation on how best to do so (I'm not familiar with Nginx myself, which you seem to prefer). Basic instructions on enabling HTTPS on the backend can be found in step 16 of the Backend Installation docs: https://wiki.lyrasis.org/display/DSDOC7x/Installing+DSpace#InstallingDSpace-BackendInstallation
Sent: Thursday, August 4, 2022 12:45 AM
To: DSpace Technical Support <dspac...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [dspace-tech] Https issue for DSpace 7
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