503 custom error page

[Stefan Caunter]

On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 7:35 AM, Maxim Dounin <mdounin at mdounin.ru> wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 23, 2011 at 05:11:57AM -0500, djeyewater wrote:
>
>> I'm trying to get a maintenance page working for my site. I added the
>> following to the server block:
>>
>> error_page 503 /maintenance.html;
>> return 503;
>>
>> This serves 503 but with default nginx 503 error page.
>>
>> The following works okay, but I don't understand why the above doesn't
>> show the custom 503 page?
>
> The error_page in question does internal redirect to
> "/maintanance.html", which in turn returns 503 due to "return 503"
> at sever level.
>
> I.e. there is no way to reach /maintanance.html, and hence nginx
> returns builtin page.
>
> Using "return 503" at location level will work, assuming you'll
> define special location for /maintenance.html without the return.
> i.e.:
>
>    location / {
>        error_page 503 /maintenance.html;
>        return 503;
>    }
>
>    location /maintanance.html {
>        # no "return 503" here
>    }

I've done this with 403 and allow/deny so that the world sees
maintenance page, but developers can keep working. Create a second
directory with your maintenance view.

 error_page 403 /403.html;
        location = /403.html {
           root   /home/site_maintenance;
           allow all;
        }
        location = /maintenance.png {
           root   /home/site_maintenance;
           allow all;
        }

Then for the control of the actual site directory:

location / {
                # let internal subnet keep developing
                allow a.b.c.d;
                # everyone else triggers 403
                deny all;
            root   /home/site;
		index index.php;
		try_files $uri $uri/ @handler;
        }


>
>
>> error_page 503 @503;
>> return 503;
>> location @503 {
>>       try_files /maintenance.html =503;
>> }
>

Stefan Caunter
http://scaleengine.com/contact