Using XWiki Docker image with Reverse proxy

[pvergezac]

Hello,

I am installing XWiki as Docker image with Treafik revers proxy on front, with path prefix like DOMAIN FOR SALE as base path of the wiki.
I used different solutions without success :

• default docker image that have ROOT web app, and Treafik PathPrefixStrip=/xwiki/
• modified docker image with /xwiki web app, and Treafik PathPrefix=/xwiki/
• modified xwiki.cfg attributes (xwiki.home= http://my-domain.org/xwiki/, xwiki.webapppath=xwiki/)

In all of that cases, the access to http://my-domain.org/xwiki/ result in altered page that reference files at base path like : http://my-domain.org/bin/login/

What is the solution to have XWiki responding to prefixed path (i can’t use sub domain path).

Thank,

[vmassol]

The docker image deploys XWiki as ROOT in the servlet container (tomcat). So the URL for XWiki is http://mydomain.org/ and not http://mydomain.org/.

So what you would want is the ability to configure the xwiki deploy path. This is Loading....

Originally I deployed XWiki as ROOT to make the URLs shorter and nicer but maybe it wasn’t a great idea after all (Especially since we could offer a Short URL solution with a configured url rewriter filter in web.xml).

So I guess your need for http://mydomain.org/ is because you want server other services using the generic http://mydomain.org/<servicename> URL, right?

[vmassol]

Related issue: Loading...

[GOhrner]

@vmassol

So the URL for XWiki is http://mydomain.org/ and not http://mydomain.org/ .

Huh, typo? Where is the difference between http://mydomain.org/ and http://mydomain.org/? is an “xwiki” missing at the end of the second URL?

And why is this thread in “News & Events” actually?

[vmassol]

@GOhrner

Where is the difference between http://mydomain.org/ and http://mydomain.org/ ? is an “xwiki” missing at the end of the second URL?

Indeed typo, I meant:

So the URL for XWiki is http://mydomain.org/ and not http://mydomain.org/xwiki

Thanks for noticing.

[vmassol]

@GOhrner

And why is this thread in “News & Events” actually?

I’ve moved it to the right category. Thx

[pvergezac]

Hello,

I have solved my problem by building my own Docker image. I changed initial Dockerfile and some others startup files for deploy XWiki as webapps/xwiki. But when changing URL of XWiki, it is important to reinitialize XWiki storage volume and data base, and execute initial configuration wizard.

Remark : the initial configuration wizard is executed if file “.first_start_completed” do not exist inside web app dir. This represent a risk if Docker container is re-created (update, restart).

[vmassol]

@pvergezac

But when changing URL of XWiki, it is important to reinitialize XWiki storage volume and data base, and execute initial configuration wizard.

This is strange. I don’t see what could be impacted by a change of servlet context path.

[pvergezac]

Did you have some path stored in database or configuration files at first start ?

[Lange]

Hi, I’m also using docker with apache as a reverse proxy.

I didn’t wan’t to open a new topic so I’m using this one as my problem is related to the topics subject.

Problem without Port 8080:
When I go to my wiki with wiki.domainname.com and try to create a page with a template I get the message (Couldn’t save the document. Server not responding):

The page gets created but says that the page is not accessable after creating it.
When I refresh the hole wiki, the page is there, so no problem.

When I access the wiki with wiki.domain.com:8080 I got no problem at all.

Is it because of my Apache vHost Config, do I miss something and can someone tell me what ?

I’d like to share my experiences for a best practice guide in Docker Best Practice Guide, but for that I first need to fix the problems a have.

My Apache vHost Configuration:

<virtualhost *:80>
    ServerName wiki.domainname.com

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =wiki.domainname.com
RewriteRule ^ https://%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
</virtualhost>

<virtualhost *:443>
    ServerName wiki.domainname.com

    ProxyRequests Off

    ProxyPass / http://localhost:8080/
    ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:8080/

    SSLCertificateFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/wiki.domainname.com/fullchain.pem
    SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/wiki.domainname.com/privkey.pem
    Include /etc/letsencrypt/options-ssl-apache.conf
</virtualhost>

PS:
My catalina log didn’t show anything useful reagrding to this issue in that time while creating the page.

[vmassol]

Too many people are reporting reverse proxy setup issues for the docker images caused apparently by the fact that the servlet context path is set to ROOT. Originally I thought it was a good idea since users were very often asking for short urls but apparently it wasn’t such a great idea.

At this stage I see 2 options:

1. Change the behavior and document it
2. Keep the behavior of deploying as ROOT but add a docker run config parameter to deploy under the xwiki context.

WDYT?

[Lange]

Hi @vmassol ,

I think you are right.
Yesterday I tried like 3 Hours on different Proxy Configurations with no success.

Right now I think I’ll do the following:

1. Try Number 2 (on your post). But for that I need to google a little bit because I’m not exactly sure how to add these config parameter.

2. I think the best thing to do, is just to run it under the Tomcat Ports. No need for “portless” URL.
   Therefore I’ll try to do what @mq2195 says in Using Tomcat SSL.

But I have to look how I can implement it in my docker-compose instead of using the docker-run command.

For me and my company is it just important to use Secure SSL, so if that means the users have to add :8443 to their Browser URL, I’m fine with that

PS:
When I did this under http, not https, everything worked fine.

Just with https I got the error, when I do “save and show”.

BUT, if I do “Preview” → “Save and Show” I got no error at all and everything seems to work with SSL and reverse proxy.

My development tools are showing me 302 when just “Save and Show” like @rissany posted on Failed to save page :

[vmassol]

@vmassol

The docker image deploys XWiki as ROOT in the servlet container (tomcat). So the URL for XWiki is http://mydomain.org/ and not http://mydomain.org/ .

So what you would want is the ability to configure the xwiki deploy path. This is https://jira.xwiki.org/browse/XDOCKER-74 .

Originally I deployed XWiki as ROOT to make the URLs shorter and nicer but maybe it wasn’t a great idea after all (Especially since we could offer a Short URL solution with a configured url rewriter filter in web.xml).

So I guess your need for http://mydomain.org/ is because you want server other services using the generic http://mydomain.org/<servicename> URL, right?

Note that this is fixed now as there’s an option to deploy under any context, see the CONTEXT_PATH options under GitHub - xwiki/xwiki-docker: Dockerfile to build and run XWiki on docker

[Lange]

Hi, just wanted to tell you, that I successfully could set up SSL without the need to give the port.

Thanks a lot to this video how to setup xwiki:

XWiki, a free, open source, self hosted Wiki that has all the features of Confluence at minimal cost

And for this video how to do the reverse proxy:

NginX Proxy Manager is a free, open source, GUI for the NginX Reverse Proxy making it easy to use.

The nginxproxymanager is gold !!! Even can do letsencrypt.

[vmassol]

@Lange

Hi, just wanted to tell you, that I successfully could set up SSL without the need to give the port.

Awesome. Thanks for posting back.

Anything you could update on https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Documentation/AdminGuide/Installation/NginX/ or https://www.xwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Documentation/AdminGuide/Installation/ to make it easier for the anyone else who faces your issues?

Thanks