# SSL for login pages - how do I configure this? (dreamhost) **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [September 8, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005 "2006-09-08T12:59:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/1 "2006-09-08T12:59:43Z")
Hi, Can anyone give me a headsup/pointer re how to enable some (or all?) of my pages to be SSL encrypted (e.g. login pages where password is being transfered)? Is this in the ruby application or part of the apache configuration? What doco should I brush up on? I’m on Dreamhost so I don’t think I have full access to apache. Tks ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 12:44pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/2 "2006-09-09T12:44:12Z")
bump (still interested re this item if anyone knows how to do this) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2006, 10:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/3 "2006-09-13T22:56:29Z")
bump (still interested re this item if anyone knows how to do this) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/4 "2006-09-14T01:12:47Z")
On Thu, Sep 14, 2006 at 06:50:54AM +1000, Greg H. wrote: > > > Can anyone give me a headsup/pointer re how to enable some (or all?) of > > > my pages to be SSL encrypted (e.g. login pages where password is being > > > transfered)? Is this in the ruby application or part of the apache > > > configuration? What doco should I brush up on? > > > > > > I’m on Dreamhost so I don’t think I have full access to apache. Well, I don’t know how you would deal with it there, so my instructions will be general. Making some of your pages ssl requires some setup on your web server in addition to some setup in your application. On the web server, just make an ssl site. You can then set up some methods in app/controllers/application.rb which you can then use as a before\_filter in your controllers. The two methods you need are “ssl\_required” and “ssl\_prohibited”. They look something like this: def ssl\_required unless @request.ssl? redirect\_to “https://#{@request.host}/#{@request.request\_uri}” end end def ssl\_prohibited if @request.ssl? redirect\_to “http://#{@request.host}/#{@request.request\_uri}” end end (this is untested, you might need to fix it. If so, please followup this post with the fix for future searching) You can then put: before\_filter :ssl\_required, :only =\> [:cart, :checkout] to force some items to ssl. You then use the opposite: before\_filter: ssl\_prohibited for controllers or actions that shouldn’t be ssl. If you have access to web server config, you can also force ssl or non-ssl on certain paths using “redirectmatch”. Doing it in your app gives you a little more flexibility and keeps it all in one place. ## Michael Michael Darrin Chaney removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid [http://www.michaelchaney.com/](http://www.michaelchaney.com/) ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2006, 9:34am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/5 "2006-09-14T09:34:20Z")
excellent - thanks for these pointers Michael ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/6 "2006-10-21T23:42:43Z")
it sounds like at dreamhost I have to pay more $$ to get SSL for my app per this link[http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/KB\_/\_Account\_Control\_Panel\_/\_Goodies\_::\_Secure\_Server](http://wiki.dreamhost.com/index.php/KB_/_Account_Control_Panel_/_Goodies_::_Secure_Server). That is extra for: (a) purchase a unique ip add-on ($3.95/month) (b) purchase a secure certificate on their own from a party Does this sound normal/reasonable? Is there another way to get SSL happening for my application on dreamhost? Tks ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/7 "2006-10-22T00:00:50Z")
On Oct 21, 2006, at 4:37 PM, Greg H. wrote: > it sounds like at dreamhost I have to pay more $$ to get SSL for my > app per this link. > > That is extra for: > (a) purchase a unique ip add-on ($3.95/month) > (b) purchase a secure certificate on their own from a party > > Does this sound normal/reasonable? Is there another way to get SSL > happening for my application on dreamhost? Sounds very reasonable for a shared host. You will always need a certificate (Go Daddy has them for very cheap) and a static IP address for SSL. Even if you were on a dedicated server, you’d have to allocate a unique IP address and buy a certificate. Brad ---
**Author:** ![greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@greg](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/greg)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/ssl-for-login-pages-how-do-i-configure-this-dreamhost/68005/8 "2006-10-22T00:06:50Z")
ok - thanks Brad