the MRH Forum

Safari download requires login? MRH product support
Reply
Super User 5,932 posts Ken Rice Super User 5,932 posts
Ken Rice
Normally I download and read MRH on my iPad. Up until this issue I haven't had any trouble, I download the Mac version from the alternate downloads page. With this issue though, both the download now and other options links on the get the current issue page result in a kCFErrorDomainCFNetwork error 303. Cleared cache, history, cookies. Tried turning off popup blocking, and enabling cookies for all sites (normally I only enable for the page), no luck. Also tried doing the same thing in safari on my MacBook, got the same error. On a whim I tried logging in to MRH, then downloading. That works on both the MacBook safari and the ipad safari. However interestingly with firefox 4 with no script installed but scripting allowed for model-railroad-hobbyist.com, clicking the same other options link results in a bit of a wait, then I get the download page and can successfully download even though I have NOT logged in. If you require login to download the current issue, it seems to me that there should be prominent verbiage telling the user that, and a better way of handling the error in safari. And it seems that you have a bug that somehow let's ff4/no script download un-authenticated. If, on the other hand, you don't require login, then the fact that logging in solved my download issues in safari on both Mac & iPad is probably a clue about why the download failed. Ken.

My blogspot blog: http://rices-rails.blogspot.com/
My MRH blog index
Reply 0
Russ Bellinis Prolific poster 3,335 posts
Russ Bellinis

I don't think a log in is required to download.

I know nothing of MAC or Safari, so it may be a problem inherent in those operating systems.  I think I have usually been logged in before I download the magazine, but I think I have down loaded the magazine without logging in on occasion.
Reply 0
joef MRH Founder 17,491 posts
joef

Login is NOT required to download

No login is ever required to download.

Just to test this issue, I tried to download the June issue on my iPad while logged out, and it worked fine.

I tried to download the June issue on our office Mac using Safari without being logged in, and again, it works fine.

So at this point, I think we're going to need more information in order to see if we can duplicate the error. Until we can duplicate it, it's tough to debug and fix it.

We need to know the version of OS, and the the version of browser. In my case we have:

iPad2 iOS 4.3.3  Safari version locked to iPad OS

Mac Mini 2 OS 10.6.7  Safari 5.0.5 (6533.21.1)

On the iPad, I tap and hold on the Mac download link and select Copy. Then I go into GoodReader and select Web Downloads> Enter URL. The copied URL appears in the dialog box automatically and I just tap OK. The download completes normally.

On the Mac, I bring up Safari and go to the Alternative downloads page, then I Control - Click on the Mac download link and select Download linked file ... and the PDF gets saved to the downloads folder on my Mac.

It all works as expected. Any other Mac or iPad users out there having the problems the original poster mentions?

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

[siskiyouBtn]

Read my blog
Reply 0
Geared Steam Frequent poster 636 posts
Geared Steam

Not much help but

Joe I was having a problem (iPad) with the link, it would give me connection error message, until tonight when I retried it, now it downloaded fine.

-Deano the Nerd

"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein

http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/

[two_truckin_sig_zps05ee1ff6%2B%25281%2529]
Reply 0
Ken Rice Super User 5,932 posts
Ken Rice

More details...

Hi Joe, My iPad os is at 4.2.1 - I guess I've been lax about keeping up to date with it lately. My method of downloading on the iPad is slightly different than yours... Ignoring the current problem for the moment what I do is click on the other options button to get to the alternate downloads page, then click the link to download the Mac PDF. That opens the PDF in safari. Then I poke the safari screen to get the controls to appear, which include among other things a button to open in iBooks. Once I click open in iBooks, it does, and I then close the safari window it was open in. OK, back to the problem. The error comes up when I try to follow the link to get to the alternate downloads page. First thing after I read your reply and that of the other gentleman who said he saw the problem but then it went away this morning I tried to download it again to see if I encountered the same problem again. And I didn't, even though your site showed me as not logged in. But good debugging technique always requires starting from a known state, so I then went back and cleared the cache, cookies, and history again using the iOS settings app. After that, trying to follow the link to the alternate downloads page failed with the 303 error again. Then I logged in to MRH, and was able to successful follow the link. So it appears that MRH does require login to get to the download pages even if that is unintentional. And it appears that something left lying around by the act of logging in, even after you get logged out (presumably after some period of time elapsed), leaves something lying around that solves the problem. Perhaps a cookie, or something in the cache. I bet if you clear your cookies, cache, and history on your iPad and then (without logging in of course) try to follow the other optioins link on the page you get to by clicking current issue on the main page, you see the same problem. Ken.

My blogspot blog: http://rices-rails.blogspot.com/
My MRH blog index
Reply 0
joef MRH Founder 17,491 posts
joef

Fixed

Ken: Okay, we duplicated the error and fixed it. Try it now.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

[siskiyouBtn]

Read my blog
Reply 0
Ken Rice Super User 5,932 posts
Ken Rice

Fixed!

Yup, it's fixed! Thanks!

My blogspot blog: http://rices-rails.blogspot.com/
My MRH blog index
Reply 0
Reply