Force download WITHOUT readfile?

[Matthew Sims]

Is it possible to force a download without using the readfile
function?

My website setup consists of my server that serves the web pages plus
a high-speed file server elsewhere on the internet that servers my
files. I'm currently using header("Location: abc.com") to redirect my
users to this other site but can't force a download.

I can get it to work using readfile() but that means the file moves
from the high-speed server through my webserver and then to the user,
which I don't want.

Here's my current setup:

header("Content-Type:application/force-download;name=\"".$path_parts["basename"]."\"");
header("Content-Disposition:attachment;filename=\"".$path_parts["basename"]."\"");
header("Content-Length: $size");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Location: ".$path["path"]."");

The above works just fine but doesn't force the download. Changing the
header("Location: ".$path["path"]."") to readfile($path["path"])
forces the download but now the file moves through my webserver and I
don't want that.

Thanks

--Matt

[Tim Van Wassenhove]

In article <1e**************************@posting.google.com >, Matthew Sims wrote:

Is it possible to force a download without using the readfile
function?
You tell me, is there another way than a UserAgent that downloads file(s)?
My website setup consists of my server that serves the web pages plus
a high-speed file server elsewhere on the internet that servers my
files. I'm currently using header("Location: abc.com") to redirect my
users to this other site but can't force a download.
Oh, your going to play with the Content-type... This has been discussed
many times before in this group. So i'm pretty sure you'll find out why
it's impossible by definition.
I can get it to work using readfile() but that means the file moves
from the high-speed server through my webserver and then to the user,
which I don't want.

Here's my current setup:

header("Content-Type:application/force-download;name=\"".$path_parts["basename"]."\"");
header("Content-Disposition:attachment;filename=\"".$path_parts["basename"]."\"");
header("Content-Length: $size");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Location: ".$path["path"]."");

On the first site, you redirect them, not directly to the file, but to a
download.php on the second server.

On the second server you place your download.php that outputs the
headers and the readfile...
--
Tim Van Wassenhove <http://home.mysth.be/~timvw/contact.php>

[Matthew Sims]

> > My website setup consists of my server that serves the web pages plus

a high-speed file server elsewhere on the internet that servers my
files. I'm currently using header("Location: abc.com") to redirect my
users to this other site but can't force a download.
Oh, your going to play with the Content-type... This has been discussed
many times before in this group. So i'm pretty sure you'll find out why
it's impossible by definition.

I did scour the entire group and though everyone's answer was to use
readfile, no one specifically said that there is no other way. So I
guess this post is basically the "there's no other way" post.

I can get it to work using readfile() but that means the file moves
from the high-speed server through my webserver and then to the user,
which I don't want.

Here's my current setup:

header("Content-Type:application/force-download;name=\"".$path_parts["basename"]."\"");
header("Content-Disposition:attachment;filename=\"".$path_parts["basename"]."\"");
header("Content-Length: $size");
header("Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary");
header("Location: ".$path["path"]."");

On the first site, you redirect them, not directly to the file, but to a
download.php on the second server.

On the second server you place your download.php that outputs the
headers and the readfile...

Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought. Unfortunately, the second
server is commercially owned which means I have little input
configuration-wise. So I guess I'm stuck with a redirect.

Thanks anyway

--Matt