75709 - expires header not honored, gets cached copy

Status: VERIFIED FIXED

(Core :: Networking: HTTP, defect, P2)

Description

[d robertson]

Using build id 2001041200, win nt.  See bug from long ago - 26207.  This has
re-appeared at some point since the new cahce was implemented.  I was the
original reporter of this bug and it is happening again here on our intranet. 
Visit slashdot to demonstrate.  I am not sure what method slashdot uses to force
a refresh from the server instead of the cached copy (whether they use an
expires header or not), but regardless; mozilla graps the cached copy when
visiting slashdot.  NS 4.x always goes to server.

Comment 1

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

The headers sent by slashdot.org:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 13:41:06 GMT
Server: Apache/1.3.12 (Unix) mod_perl/1.24
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/html

Comment 2

[Keyser Sose]

Reporter try creating a new profile and downloading the latest nightly? Does
that fix the problem? Report back either way. Thanks in advance.

Comment 3

[d robertson]

I have tried this on build id 2001041520 and 2001041704, fresh installs and
profiles, in winnt and linux and it still seems to be a problem.  The page seems
to be refreshing from the cache when i hit enter from the url to access the
page.  If hit reload, it gets the page properly from the server.  NS4.7 and IE
load the page from the server always.  The access_log from the server shows an
entry for NS and IE everytime, and mozilla only on a browser reload.  Doing a
page-info from NS (View, Page Info) shows the Expires as Wednesday, December 31,
1969 7:00:01 PM.  I changed the cache setting in mozilla to Everytime I View the
Page and it then loads from the server each time.   

Comment 4

[gordon]

reporter, what is your page validation preference set to in the Preferences/
Advanced/Cache panel?

Comment 5

[d robertson]

the "compare the page in the cache to the page on the network" is set to Once
per session.

Comment 6

[Darin Fisher]

with a cache validation setting of once-per-session, the cached copy will only
be refreshed once per session, so if it was created during this session, then
future requests for it will always get the cached copy.  i don't see how this
is a bug.

Comment 7

[d robertson]

The html page contains an EXPIRES header with a date in the past.  It is my
understanding that the browser is to use this header information and not get the
cahced copy, but go to the server because the cached copy has expired
(regardless of the browser cache setting).  The other browsers (IE, NS4.7) work
this way.  I dont know much about the EXPIRES header and what is standard and
not standard, but we have always used this header to force the browser not to
use the cache and always go the server to get a possible updated page (the page
is java servlet generated and generally, it has changed).  Please see the
original bug #26207.  I guess it comes down to standards and the intent of the
EXPIRES header and if I am using it correctly?     

Comment 8

[Darin Fisher]

can you give an url to the content exhibiting this problem, thanks!

Comment 9

[d robertson]

http://drobertson.com/servlet/ExpireTestWithHeader.  

Comment 10

[Keyser Sose]

Marking NEW.

Comment 11

[Darin Fisher]

-> mozilla0.9.2

Comment 12

[Darin Fisher]

Attachment: fixes the problem

Comment 13

[gordon]

r=gordon

Comment 14

[Doug Turner (:dougt)]

looks fine to me. sr=

Comment 15

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

a= [e-mail] for checkin to the trunk.
(on behalf of drivers)

Comment 16

[Darin Fisher]

fix checked in.

Comment 17

[Tom Everingham]

verified:

win NT4 2001080103
Linux rh6 2001080106
mac os9 2001080108