DO NOT REPLY [Bug 7604] New: - serving gzipped static html, download file bug with IE

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serving gzipped static html, download file bug with IE

           Summary: serving gzipped static html, download file bug with IE
           Product: Apache httpd-1.3
           Version: 1.3.23
          Platform: PC
               URL: 
http://hot-deals.org
        OS/Version: Linux
            Status: NEW
          Severity: Normal
          Priority: Other
         Component: Other mods
        AssignedTo: bugs@httpd.apache.org
        ReportedBy: jon2@modem.org

Occasionally, some of my visitors who use Microsoft Internet Explorer get a "Download File" dialog instead of viewing the static html page on my website (www.hot-deals.org). I have been trying to track down this problem for months now, but no one seems to have any idea why this happens.

This happened occasionally to my users when I was using Apache 1.3.20, and is not occuring a little more frequently under Apache 1.3.23.

The visitors that reported this problem to me, say that when it happens they get the "Download File, Save To Disk" dialog. Hitting the site again repeats the download dialog. After a little while, the dialog goes away, and the page is served normally. Those users say that the webpage works fine for several weeks, then for no reason the "Download File" dialog reappears.

It appears to be user-specific, not site-wide. Meaning, a single user may report that they are currently getting the "Download" dialog instead of viewing my page's static HTML screen, and no other user will report problems during that time.

I believe this is a bug related to how Apache talks to a Microsoft Internet Explorer browser, when Apache delivers gzipped static html. This bug happens very infrequently compared to the amount of traffic that I get. However it happens enough to warrant me spending my time in attempt to get to the bottom of this issue.

If a user chooses to download the file, it appears that the gzipped version of the html is sent from Apache. What's even more weird is once a user downloads & saves the file, they can successfully view the webpage with no problems.

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PLEASE HELP! I have been trying to track down this problem for months now!

I fear that this problem is related to the gzip module within Apache. I really want to keep the gzip module there, because my front page is 188 KBytes of HTML, but users only download 42 KBytes because the gzip module sends the user the compressed version of the html. The pages are served over http (port 80), not SSL-encrypted https. The front page of my website is static html text, not CGI or Perl or PHP or other dynamic html generator.

I am currently running Apache 1.3.23, compiled by me (not using RPMs). My linux kernel is 2.4.17 SMP, also compiled by me. Apache DSO (not static) modules that I am using within Apache:

• Mod_SSL 2.8.6 with OpenSSL 0.9.6c
• Mod GZIP 1.3.19.1a
• PHP 4
• FastCGI
• mod_unique_id
• mod_headers
• mod_auth
• mod_access
• mod_alias
• mod_userdir
• mod_actions
• mod_imap
• mod_cgi
• mod_dir
• mod_autoindex
• mod_include
• mod_status
• mod_negotiation
• mod_mime
• mod_log_config
• mod_env

PLEASE HELP! I have been stumped for months now, with no leads as to the cause of the problem.