Customizing Error Responses

You can specify a custom error response that sends a detailed message to clients when they encounter errors from your server. You can specify a file to send or a CGI program to run.

Instead of sending back the default file, you might want to send a custom error response. For example, if a client repeatedly tries to connect to a part of your server protected by access control, you might return an error file with information on obtaining an account.

What Are the Errors?

You can customize the response to the following kinds of errors:

• Unauthorized: Occurs when users without access permission try to access a document on the server that is protected by access control.
• Forbidden: Occurs when the server doesn't have file system permissions to read something, or if the server is not permitted to follow symbolic links.
• Not Found: Occurs when the server can't find a document or when it has been instructed to deny the existence of a document.
• Server Error: Occurs when the server is not configured properly or when a catastrophic error occurs, such as the system running out of memory or producing a core dump.

Setting Up the Response

Before you can set up the response, you need to write the HTML file to send or create the CGI program to run.

1. From the Web Manager home page, click Enterprise Web Server servername > Server Preferences > Error Responses.

2. From the Editing drop-down list, select the server resource you want to configure.

3. To choose a specific part of your server, click Browse.

4. To browse files and directories on your server, click Options.

5. To return to the Custom Error Responses form, click Back.

6. To enter the wildcard pattern to edit, click Wildcard.

7. Select the error response you want to customize.

8. In the appropriate field, enter the absolute pathname to the file or CGI script that you want to return for that error code.

9. Check the CGI box if the file is a CGI program that you want to run.

10. Repeat this process for each error response you want to customize.

11. Click OK.

To remove a customization, return to the form and delete the filename from the field next to the error code.