Topic: Redirect to HTTPS before Basic Authentication Prompt?

[bsimecek]

I have a server location that requires authentication to login. I know that BASIC authentication through Apache is bad unless it runs over a SSL connection (or some other method other than plain text).

Currently, if a user goes to a location through HTTPS, the user is prompted with a certificate and then after accepting, they are prompted for authentication (safe).
But not all users remember to use HTTPS. So I needed to do a redirect (used the follwing in .conf Directory statement)

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule (.*) https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI}

Well, now when going to an HTTP location, the user gets prompted for authentication, and if accepted they are redirected to HTTPS and get the certificate prompt. Is there a way to cause the certificate prompt to come before the authentication when accessing the HTTP location?

[James Blond]

There is no way to send the certificate prompt before the client (browser) accesses https. Maybe it works if you create an iframe with https page.
I haven't tested it yet.