Anybody know a script or method to achieve this? (authentication/access related)

[Jim J]

I have been trying to find some kind of authentication method or
script (PHP/perl/javascript or other) to achieve the following, with
no luck.

Say there are 100 files at a site. A person can choose which file to
download from a list, and to do so has to enter a code or password.
When a valid code or password is used they are redirected to a page
with a direct link to download the file.

Once that code or password has been used to download that one file
(and the same code/password can be used to access any one of the 100
files), it is then expired/deleted/made invalid and can't be used
again to download any other file.

Does anybody know a method or script somewhere that can do this?

Thanks.

Jim

[Chris Smith]

Re: Anybody know a script or method to achieve this? (authentication/access related)

Jim J <me@privacy.net > wrote:[color=blue]
> I have been trying to find some kind of authentication method or
> script (PHP/perl/javascript or other) to achieve the following, with
> no luck.[/color]

Don't bother looking at JavaScript in traditional client-side
environments. JavaScript can be run on a server, but it's somewhat
rare. You're probably better off with one of the other languages.
[color=blue]
> Say there are 100 files at a site. A person can choose which file to
> download from a list, and to do so has to enter a code or password.
> When a valid code or password is used they are redirected to a page
> with a direct link to download the file.
>
> Once that code or password has been used to download that one file
> (and the same code/password can be used to access any one of the 100
> files), it is then expired/deleted/made invalid and can't be used
> again to download any other file.
>
> Does anybody know a method or script somewhere that can do this?[/color]

This is going to require server-side code, a database (relational or
otherwise), and some mechanism for giving out codes/passwords. It's
also a fairly specific and unusual requirement. This is probably beyond
anything you're going to find pre-written.

As far as writing it, this should be fairly trivial in any server-side
web environment. However, you haven't told us what you're having
problems with, so help will be difficult to come by.

--

https://www.designacourse.com

The Easiest Way To Train Anyone... Anywhere.

Chris Smith - Lead Software Developer/Technical Trainer
MindIQ Corporation

[John Bokma]

Re: Anybody know a script or method to achieve this? (authentication/access related)

Jim J wrote:
[color=blue]
> Once that code or password has been used to download that one file
> (and the same code/password can be used to access any one of the 100
> files), it is then expired/deleted/made invalid and can't be used
> again to download any other file.[/color]

How do you know the download went ok? I wouldn't waste to much effort in a
copy protection scheme (that is how it sounds)

What sounds better: give a code that makes it possible to download one file
during 24 hrs. So, as soon as you hand out the access code, you register it
in a database + current time. When a file link is clicked, you store the
name of the file unless the user/password combo has already something
assigned. If it's the same file, and within the 24hrs, allow it, otherwise
deny.

Every day you delete all entries that are older than 24 hrs.

You can use 2 stamps, one for moment of user/password creation, and one for
the first download attempt. You can do then something like: if combo older
than 3 days, delete it. If first download attempt was more then 8 hrs ago,
the combo no longer can be used.

--
John Small Perl scripts: http://johnbokma.com/perl/
Perl programmer available: http://castleamber.com/
Happy Customers: http://castleamber.com/testimonials.html

[Brian McCauley]

Re: Anybody know a script or method to achieve this? (authentication/accessrelated)



John Bokma wrote:[color=blue]
> Jim J wrote:
>
>[color=green]
>>Once that code or password has been used to download that one file
>>(and the same code/password can be used to access any one of the 100
>>files), it is then expired/deleted/made invalid and can't be used
>>again to download any other file.[/color]
>
>
> How do you know the download went ok? I wouldn't waste to much effort in a
> copy protection scheme (that is how it sounds)
>
> What sounds better: give a code that makes it possible to download one file
> during 24 hrs. So, as soon as you hand out the access code, you register it
> in a database + current time. When a file link is clicked, you store the
> name of the file unless the user/password combo has already something
> assigned. If it's the same file, and within the 24hrs, allow it, otherwise
> deny.
>
> Every day you delete all entries that are older than 24 hrs.
>
> You can use 2 stamps, one for moment of user/password creation, and one for
> the first download attempt. You can do then something like: if combo older
> than 3 days, delete it. If first download attempt was more then 8 hrs ago,
> the combo no longer can be used.[/color]

I agree with everything John said. I would add that your script
should not deilver the content directly but rather perform an
internal redirect within the server so that the server will
cope with restartable download properly.