Root should not be inside location block

[schkovich]

Bad practice is currently enforced: fail('Cannot create a location reference without a www_root [...]).

Instead option to add www_root should be removed and error raised if user tries to add root inside location block.

Nginx Pitfalls: Root inside location block

BAD:

server {
    server_name www.domain.com;
    location / {
      root /var/www/nginx-default/;
      [...]
    }
}

GOOD:

server {
  server_name www.domain.com;
  root /var/www/nginx-default/;
  location / {
    [...]
  }

Root moved to vhost_header

[abraham1901]

👍

[hackzilla]

👍

[schkovich]

solution #576

[khaefeli]

👍

but I think #576 is a workaround. the module should do it correctly by default, to avoid the wrong behavior, if the DevOP is careless / inexperienced

[schkovich]

I agree. However see @jfryman comment. I do understand his noble democratic desire to allow people doing stupidity but I still think that by default root should be in server block. Case that user from whatever reasons still wants to place root in location block give her/him option to do it.

[khaefeli]

@schkovich I totally agree.

[jfryman]

@schkovich I think in that comment I said...

I'd rather provide sane defaults and let a user make silly decisions on their own.

I do think this falls under a sane default. Throw up a PR, I'll review/merge. I was hoping the original author of that PR would rebase/resubmit, but it didn't happen.

[wyardley]

I have included a way to suppress logs in #888
We do have some use cases that require setting different roots per location, but agree that the default behavior could be improved.
I'm going to close this one, just because it hasn't had any activity in ages, but, as they say, pull requests (with tests) will be reviewed and gratefully accepted if this is still an issue.