Re: [SM-USERS] Invalid URL Error

[Jon T. <jo...@tg...>]

On Fri, 2002-02-08 at 06:07, Josh Trutwin wrote:
> > On Fri, 2002-01-25 at 08:51, Josh Trutwin wrote:
> >> Occasionally I have been getting the following error:
> >>
> >> <snip>
> >> ERROR: The requested URL could not be retrieved
> >>
> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> >>  ----
> >>
> >> While trying to retrieve the URL: UNKNOWN URL
> >>
> >> The following error was encountered:
> >>
> >> ERROR 113 -- The syntax for the URL you entered is not valid.
> >> This means that:
> >>
> >> You made a typing error or the URL you entered might not follow the
> >> rules for the syntax of URLs. Please reenter the URL in the correct
> >> form.
> >>
> >>
> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
> >>  ----
> >> </snip>
> >>
> >
> > This doesn't sound like an error I have encountered before.  I know
> > Apache doesn't throw it, and to my knowledge neither does PHP.  I
> > grep'ed for "trying" in the SquirrelMail source and I couldn't find
> > this error message.  Are you using some kind of proxy to access
> > SquirrelMail?  Have you tried accessing SquirrelMail from another
> > location (without any kind of proxies)?
> 
> Thanks for your response Jon.  Yes, as near as I can tell, IE is using a
> proxy, though I know little about it as I am running SM most of the time
> from my PC at work.  I looked under the LAN Settings on my browser
> Connection Options and found that the "Use Automatic Configuration Script"
> is selected and there was a URL to a proxy.pac file on the Intranet.  I
> managed to get a look at the contents of this file:
> 
> <start>
> function FindProxyForURL(url, host)
> {
> 	if (isPlainHostName(host) ||
> 		isInNet(host, "10.0.0.0", "255.0.0.0") ||
> 		isInNet(host, "172.17.0.0", "255.255.0.0") ||
> 		dnsDomainIs(host, ".tacom.army.mil") ||
> 		dnsDomainIs(host, "ide.dd21.com") ||
> 		dnsDomainIs(host, "xww.dd21.com") ||
> 		dnsDomainIs(host, "test.dd21.com") ||
> 		dnsDomainIs(host, ".mpls.udlp.com"))
> 
> 	return "DIRECT";
> else
> 		return "PROXY 10.1.55.251:3128; DIRECT";
> }
> <end>
> 

You are definitely behind a proxy.  

> I am not too familiar with any of this.  Do you see anything that would
> lead you to believe that this is what is causing the Invalid URL error?  

In case you don't know what a proxy is, let me give you a little bit of
background; sorry if you know all this already.  

Your company has a network, but wants to keep outsiders (read: hackers)
out.  But they can't just close you off entirely, because they need to
provide you with Internet access.  Also, they may want to keep track of
what web sites you visit, or they may want to speed up their connection
by using a proxy to cache pages.  Whatever the reason, they have a proxy
server.  

Whenever you tell your computer to fetch a web page, it asks the proxy
server instead of going to fetch the site directly.  Since the proxy
server is on your side of the firewall, your computer is allowed to talk
to it.  Had your computer tried to contact the web site itself, it would
have been denied access by the firewall.  The proxy (which is one of the
few computers on your network allowed through the firewall) receives the
request for a web page and attempts to fetch it in your name.  

Most of the time, the proxy understands your requests and performs its
function properly.  In these cases, you don't notice its there. 
However, SquirrelMail may be generating some complex URLs that the proxy
chokes on, in which case it throws the error you described above.  

> Any thoughts on what I can do to stop this error?  Or do I just have to
> live with it until I get a new job?  :)

Well, you could try contacting your IT department and telling them the
proxy is choking on some URLs, is there an update available for the
proxy software, etc.  Better yet, tell them to use SquirrelMail at the
office. ;)  If your IT can't help you, I'm afraid you're out of luck. 
:(

- Jon