Session ID

how to get rid of it?

[jalma]

I use Invision Power Board 1.3.The search bots don't seems to crawl beyond the topic title - i.e. they can't index the posts - because of the session ID. Does anyone know how to remove the session ID from the URL?

[rogerd]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld, jalma. For detailed technical questions about a particular type of software, sometimes that software developer's own forum is the best place. We've had some great Q&A here, though. Anyone?

[jalma]

Thanks Roger - I've tried that. IPB was part of the package from my hosting company and therefore I cannot sign up to IPB’s own technical forum. The hosting company has also been unhelpful. I’ve tried other forums – no one comes up with the answer. Yet there must be a way of removing the long session IDs because I see it being done in many forums using IPB.The question is how?

[krt1]

Put this at the top of the global header file
ini_set('session.use_trans_sid',false);
It means to force use of a transparent SID
There is also a .htaccess alternative done by putting
php_flag session.use_trans_sid off
(on a seperate line)

[jalma]

Thanks.I've tried the htaccess approach - it didn't seem to work.

I also tried removing all session ids but then no one could log-in. I wrote a hack to remove the SID until people log-in. It seems to work - but it’s messy and I’m sure it’s not the best way of doing it.

[rogerd]

I think the hack for phpBB that kills the session ID for spiders puts some logic in that tests for appropriate User Agent strings. If it finds "googlebot" in the string, for example, it doesn't use a session ID. (You phpBB pros can correct me if my simplistic explanation isn't quite right. ;))

[woodrow222]

Put this at the top of the global header file
ini_set('session.use_trans_sid',false);
It means to force use of a transparent SID

Thank you! That has indeed done the trick!

[woodrow222]

Uh, i spoke to soon. It works, but it is also showing that text on the top of my board:

ini_set('session.use_trans_sid',false);

Where exactly do i put this into this area?

<!--ipb.javascript.start-->
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
var ipb_var_st = "{ipb.input['st']}";
var ipb_lang_tpl_q1 = "{ipb.lang['tpl_q1']}";
var ipb_var_s = "{ipb.session_id}";
var ipb_var_phpext = "{ipb.vars['php_ext']}";
var ipb_var_base_url = "{ipb.script_url}";
var ipb_input_f = "{ipb.input['f']}";
var ipb_input_t = "{ipb.input['t']}";
var ipb_input_p = "{ipb.input['p']}";
var ipb_var_cookieid = "{ipb.vars['cookie_id']}";
var ipb_var_cookie_domain = "{ipb.vars['cookie_domain']}";
var ipb_var_cookie_path = "{ipb.vars['cookie_path']}";
//-->
</script>
<script type="text/javascript" src='jscripts/ipb_global.js'></script>
<!--ipb.javascript.end-->
<div class="borderwrap">
<div id="logostrip"><a href='{ipb.script_url}'><!--ipb.logo.start-->

[woodrow222]

(i'm running 2.0.4)

[krt1]

ini_set is a PHP command meaning it has to be contained in <?php and?>
IPB may have some different methods of handling this and may still try to output it as normal text in which case you should seek further help from someone who know more about IPB. Try starting a new topic for your problem.

[woodrow222]

are you saying it should be like so:

<?php ini_set('session.use_trans_sid',false); and?>

[woodrow222]

?