Problems related to enabling SSL / HTTPS on a forum

[Karll]

I want to enable SSL on my forum, but have not done a lot of research yet, and was hoping I could get some pointers here before I start:

Are there any negative consequences of switching over, and how do I avoid these? E.g. if I understand correctly, hot-linked images from non-SSL sites will stop working.

I'm planning to use free certificates from Let's encrypt.

 

[doubt]

E.g. if I understand correctly, hot-linked images from non-SSL sites will stop working.

If you "Proxy Images" then they will be on your site.

 

[Karll]

If you "Proxy Images" then they will be on your site.

I don't. If I start doing that now before I enable SSL, will that help?

 

[doubt]

I don't. If I start doing that now before I enable SSL, will that help?

Yes it will, provided you have sufficient space and bandwidth on your site.

 

[pierce]

does anybody have a good proxy image tool that is not affected by the 301 security issue?

 

[Karll]

Yes it will, provided you have sufficient space and bandwidth on your site.

Space: I have 25G of available/unused disk space. I have ~14K posts that contain one or more IMG BBcodes. Assuming each such post contains an average of 1M of data (which is quite a generous approximation, I think), that should take no more than 14G.

Bandwidth: I have a monthly quota of 3000G, and is using very little of it so far.

 

[doubt]

Space: I have 25G of available/unused disk space. I have ~14K posts that contain one or more IMG BBcodes. Assuming each such post contains an average of 1M of data (which is quite a generous approximation, I think), that should take no more than 14G.

Bandwidth: I have a monthly quota of 3000G, and is using very little of it so far.

Seems sufficient.

 

[Karll]

What values should I use for the "Image Cache Lifetime (Days)" and "Image Cache Refresh (Days)"?

At first I was thinking I should keep images cached indefinitely, but now I'm thinking that probably isn't what I want ... What values are others here using?

 

[Solidus]

Image Cache Lifetime - 7 days
Image Cache Refresh - 0

 

[doubt]

What values should I use for the "Image Cache Lifetime (Days)"

Enter the number of days that proxied images should be retained for, before they are removed from your system.

30 days? After that you will face the red X instead of an image.(Provided the image's been removed from the originating site.)
Perhaps a year is sufficient.

 

[Karll]

30 days? After that you will face the red X instead of an image.(Provided the image's been removed from the originating site.)
Perhaps a year is sufficient.

Is there a way to prevent the cached image from being deleted if the original disappears? The explanation for the Image Cache Refresh seems to indicate it can do this:

If a value greater than 0 is entered, images cached by the image proxy will be refreshed after this many days have passed. This can be used in conjunction with a long cache lifetime to allow images to be updated periodically while retaining resilience against the image being removed.

 

[doubt]

Is there a way to prevent the cached image from being deleted if the original disappears?

I did not play with it yet so I cannot give a definite answer.
Try it on your forum:
Image Cache Lifetime: 4 days
Image Cache Refresh: 2 days

Upload an image to your site and embed it in a post in your forum.
Replace the image after 1 day.
Check what happens to it after 2-5 days if you remove the image after 2 days.

 

[Karll]

Another question: What to do with exisiting hot-linked images? Can I somehow make the Image Proxy cache these images as well?

 

[pierce]

The cache will and should take care of any existing images.

After converting from 4 to xenforo, I went straight to https.

It worked out of the box.

I set my lifetime to infinity or 0. And check for updates every day

 

[Karll]

I've done it!

 

[Sunka]

I set my lifetime to infinity or 0. And check for updates every day

Why checking every day?
Set that to infinity too.

If user put image in post, you have cache of that image forever, but if you checking every day, if user image deleted from image host, it will be replacing with some host imageholder/placeholder and than with your checking enabled, you will cache that image holder and original image will gone from post.

 

[pierce]

We have weight loss tickers that members update.

It would be nice to have a white list to update faster but sadly not available

 

[Drastic]

You really don't need an SSL.