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Bug 19996 - File URI handling - 'localhost' domain usage should be avoided
Summary: File URI handling - 'localhost' domain usage should be avoided
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME
Alias: None
Product: WHATWG
Classification: Unclassified
Component: URL (show other bugs)
Version: unspecified
Hardware: PC Windows 3.1
: P2 normal
Target Milestone: Unsorted
Assignee: Anne
QA Contact: sideshowbarker+urlspec
URL:
Whiteboard:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2012-11-18 07:04 UTC by Michael A. Puls II
Modified: 2013-11-21 05:27 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

See Also:

Attachments

Description Michael A. Puls II 2012-11-18 07:04:50 UTC 
<http://my.opera.com/operawiki/forums/topic.dml?id=1132462>

Opera's use of file://localhost/ instead of file:/// has been a major compatibility problem with NPAPI plug-ins and external programs.

Given those problems and that no other browser uses 'localhost', using file://localhost/ should be invalid or heavily discouraged.

The link mentions Opera bug CORE-40495, but CORE-5928 and CORE-12340 are a few more examples (but far from all).

The only thing mentioning file://localhost/ is <http://tools.ietf.org/id/draft-hoffman-file-uri-03.txt>, so Opera probably gets its behavior from that. But, no other browser (and very few programs) use it, so the RFC should be ignored and no browser should use file://localhost/ when file:/// works fine.
Comment 1 Anne 2013-11-20 15:53:53 UTC 
The specification does not mention the weird localhost behavior which should be sufficient I think. Only implement that what is required. Everything else is forbidden.
Comment 2 Michael A. Puls II 2013-11-21 05:27:30 UTC 
Sounds good.