# Route to static resource? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [April 16, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734 "2009-04-16T20:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/1 "2009-04-16T20:46:31Z")
Is there any way to write a route that delivers a static resource? For some reason something (looks like Google Toolbar according to the user-agent string) is requesting favicon.ico at all sorts of weird places, not just at the root location where favicon.ico belongs, but at /someAction/favicon.ico, etc. I’d like to direct these all to the actual favicon.ico, to keep them out of my error logs. If I can’t do it in routes, I guess I can do it in apache. Thanks for any help! ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 8:58pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/2 "2009-04-16T20:58:31Z")
On Apr 16, 2009, at 2:46 PM, Jonathan R. wrote: > of my error logs. > > If I can’t do it in routes, I guess I can do it in apache. > > ## Thanks for any help! Do you have something in your layout that says to find “favicon.ico” that could just be changed to “/favicon.ico” perhaps? -Rob Rob B. [http://agileconsultingllc.com](http://agileconsultingllc.com) removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/3 "2009-04-16T21:08:17Z")
Rob B. wrote: > Do you have something in your layout that says to find “favicon.ico” > that could just be changed to “/favicon.ico” perhaps? Nope, it’s nothing in my layout anywhere. It’s Google Toolbar acting up for some reason. Apparently others have seen it too: [http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Toolbar/thread?tid=78479dcc02044f76&hl=en](http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Toolbar/thread?tid=78479dcc02044f76&hl=en) But still wondering if I can ‘route’ to a static resource, occasionally need that for other purposes too. ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/4 "2009-04-16T21:50:14Z")
The problem is a catch-all route at the end would be AFTER the default map.connect ‘:controller/:action/:id’ type routes. So weird routes that things like Google Toolbar and MS Word keep sending like “fake/notAnAction.gif” would not get caught by my catch-all, right? I guess apache is the way to go. Or, in another question I posted in another thread, figure out how to keep Rails from putting a backtrace in for these kind of errors in general. Haven’t figured out where in Rails is actually generating that annoying backtrace in production.log in the first place. Philip H. wrote: > You could add a catch-all route at the end that checks for > “favicon.ico” and then send-file the real favicon.ico back. Or to > speed it up do it using rack/metal. > > But if were me, I’d do it in apache. That will definitely be the > fastest. ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/5 "2009-04-16T21:45:59Z")
> occasionally > need that for other purposes too. You could add a catch-all route at the end that checks for “favicon.ico” and then send-file the real favicon.ico back. Or to speed it up do it using rack/metal. But if were me, I’d do it in apache. That will definitely be the fastest. ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/6 "2009-04-16T21:51:17Z")
Philip H. wrote: > You could add a catch-all route at the end that checks for > “favicon.ico” and then send-file the real favicon.ico back. Or to > speed it up do it using rack/metal. > > But if were me, I’d do it in apache. That will definitely be the > fastest. Woops, I forgot my real question. Right, I can do a catch-all like that (I actually did figure out a way to do that) – but how do I have a rails route send back a static file? Do I need to create a method in application.rb for sending back the static file? Any way to tell a route to result in a static file? THAT was my original question! Jonathan ---
**Author:** ![jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/779978/32.png) [@jrochkind](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jrochkind)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/route-to-static-resource/165734/7 "2009-04-16T21:56:37Z")
> rails route send back a static file? > You don’t. Look at the ‘send\_data’ method in action controller. > Do I need to create a method in application.rb for sending back the > static file? Any way to tell a route to result in a static file? If you’re going to do this in Rails and you’re using a version that supports Rack, do it in rails metal. It will be a _lot_ simpler and keep the entire thing out of your logs. > **[\#150 Rails Metal - RailsCasts](http://railscasts.com/episodes/150-rails-metal)** > > Short Ruby on Rails screencasts containing tips, tricks and tutorials. Great for both novice and experienced web developers. -philip