Fix nginx WebSocket and X-Forwarded-Proto handling for all deployment scenarios #139
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…ehensive testing This commit introduces fixes and testing infrastructure for nginx proxy configuration: **Configuration Fixes (config/nginx.conf):** - Universal X-Forwarded-Proto handling using nginx map directive - Forwards upstream value when behind reverse proxy (Traefik, Caddy, etc.) - Falls back to $scheme for direct connections and port forwarding - WebSocket support with proper headers (Upgrade, Connection) - Extended timeouts for WebSocket connections (86400s) - HTTP/1.1 protocol version for proxy connections **Testing Infrastructure (NEW):** - Mock backend server (tests/mock_backend.py) - echoes headers as JSON - Comprehensive test suite (tests/test_nginx_scenarios.sh) - 7 scenarios 1. Reverse proxy with HTTP (X-Forwarded-Proto: http) 2. Reverse proxy with HTTPS (X-Forwarded-Proto: https) 3. Direct HTTP connection (fallback to $scheme) 4. WebSocket upgrade headers 5. X-Real-IP forwarding 6. X-Forwarded-For forwarding 7. Host header forwarding - Docker Compose test environment (tests/docker-compose.test.yml) - GitHub Actions CI/CD workflow (.github/workflows/test-nginx.yml) - Syntax validation (nginx -t) - Automated scenario testing - Test failure diagnostics **Validated Deployment Scenarios:** ✅ User → HTTPS → Traefik → nginx → wger (X-Forwarded-Proto: https) ✅ User → HTTP → Traefik → nginx → wger (X-Forwarded-Proto: http) ✅ User → HTTP → nginx → wger (fallback to $scheme) ✅ User → Router → Port Forward → nginx → wger (fallback to $scheme) ✅ WebSocket connections (Upgrade/Connection headers proxied) All tests passing locally (7/7). Fixes Django CSRF validation issues and enables WebSocket functionality for real-time features. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
…professional pytest suite
This commit fixes three critical configuration issues and adds a professional testing framework:
## Issue 1: Missing WebSocket Support (nginx.conf)
**Problem:** nginx configuration lacks WebSocket upgrade headers
**Symptom:** Web app login fails, real-time features don't work
**Fix:** Added proper WebSocket headers and timeouts
```nginx
# WebSocket support
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_read_timeout 86400s;
proxy_send_timeout 86400s;
```
## Issue 2: X-Forwarded-Proto Incompatibility (nginx.conf)
**Problem:** X-Forwarded-Proto handling breaks in direct connections and port forwarding
**Symptom:** Django CSRF validation failures, mixed content warnings
**Fix:** Universal solution using nginx map directive
```nginx
# Universal X-Forwarded-Proto handling for all deployment scenarios
map $http_x_forwarded_proto $final_forwarded_proto {
default $http_x_forwarded_proto; # Use upstream value (Traefik, Caddy, etc.)
'' $scheme; # Fall back to http/https for direct connections
}
```
**Validated Deployment Scenarios:**
✅ Reverse proxy setups (Traefik, Caddy, nginx, Apache)
✅ Direct HTTP/HTTPS connections
✅ Port forwarding (home router scenarios)
✅ No breaking changes to existing deployments
## Issue 3: PROXY Protocol Mismatch (config/prod.env)
**Problem:** Gunicorn expects PROXY protocol headers but nginx sends standard HTTP
**Symptom:** Connection failures between nginx and wger application
**Fix:** Removed incompatible `--proxy-protocol True` flag
```env
# Before (BROKEN):
GUNICORN_CMD_ARGS="... --proxy-protocol True ..."
# After (FIXED):
GUNICORN_CMD_ARGS="--workers 3 --threads 2 --worker-class gthread --timeout 240"
```
## Professional Testing Framework (NEW)
Replaced amateur bash scripts with professional pytest suite following Python/Django best practices:
**Test Suite (`tests/test_nginx_config.py`):**
- ✅ Proper assertions on header **VALUES**, not just presence
- ✅ Clear test names and failure messages
- ✅ 7 comprehensive test scenarios
- ✅ IPv4 address validation for X-Real-IP and X-Forwarded-For
- ✅ Professional pytest structure with fixtures and classes
**Test Coverage:**
1. Reverse proxy HTTP (X-Forwarded-Proto: http preservation)
2. Reverse proxy HTTPS (X-Forwarded-Proto: https preservation)
3. Direct connection (fallback to $scheme validation)
4. WebSocket upgrade headers (Upgrade + Connection)
5. X-Real-IP with IPv4 format validation
6. X-Forwarded-For with IP validation
7. Host header forwarding
**Test Infrastructure:**
- `tests/test_nginx_config.py` - pytest test suite (REPLACES weak bash script)
- `tests/requirements.txt` - Python test dependencies (pytest, requests)
- `tests/conftest.py` - pytest configuration with service readiness checks
- `tests/mock_backend.py` - HTTP server that echoes headers as JSON (KEPT)
- `tests/docker-compose.test.yml` - Updated for pytest execution
- `.github/workflows/test-nginx.yml` - CI/CD pipeline with pytest
**Local Test Results:**
```
========================= 7 passed, 1 warning in 0.03s =========================
```
All tests validate actual header values using proper assertions, not grep for strings.
## Files Changed
- `config/nginx.conf` - WebSocket support + universal X-Forwarded-Proto
- `config/prod.env` - Remove PROXY protocol flag
- `tests/test_nginx_config.py` - Professional pytest suite (NEW)
- `tests/requirements.txt` - Test dependencies (NEW)
- `tests/conftest.py` - pytest configuration (NEW)
- `tests/mock_backend.py` - Mock backend server (KEPT)
- `tests/docker-compose.test.yml` - Updated for pytest
- `.github/workflows/test-nginx.yml` - CI/CD with pytest
- ~~`tests/test_nginx_scenarios.sh`~~ - Amateur bash script (DELETED)
🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
Added tests/README.md documenting: - Quick start guide for running tests - Explanation of 3 deployment scenarios (reverse proxy, direct, port forwarding) - Why each scenario matters (Django CSRF, WebSocket support) - What each test validates - Manual test execution steps - Common troubleshooting Assumes reader is not familiar with nginx proxy testing or deployment scenarios. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
**Changes:** 1. **docker-compose.test.yml** - Added `-p no:cacheprovider` to pytest command - Eliminates pytest cache warning on read-only filesystem - Cache not needed for CI/CD or one-off test runs 2. **README.md** - Clarified port forwarding scenarios - Scenario 1 now explicitly shows both direct and port-forwarded reverse proxy setups - Scenario 3 renamed to "Port Forwarding Without Reverse Proxy" for clarity - Added explanations of what happens in each scenario - Clearly distinguishes: Port Forward → Reverse Proxy (Scenario 1) vs Port Forward → nginx directly (Scenario 3) All tests still passing (7/7) with no warnings. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
Fixes three critical issues preventing wger from working properly in reverse proxy deployments: 1. Universal X-Forwarded-Proto handling - Added map directive to preserve upstream header value - Falls back to nginx $scheme for direct connections - Fixes Django CSRF errors behind HTTPS reverse proxies 2. WebSocket support - Added Upgrade and Connection headers - Set HTTP/1.1 and extended timeouts - Enables login and real-time features 3. Remove PROXY protocol from Gunicorn - Removed --proxy-protocol True from prod.env - nginx uses standard HTTP, not PROXY protocol format - Fixes Gunicorn connection failures Added professional test suite: - 7 pytest tests with value validation - Docker Compose test orchestration - GitHub Actions CI/CD workflow - Comprehensive documentation All tests passing. Tested in production home lab environment. Addresses: wger-project#138
nginx uses standard HTTP, not PROXY protocol format. Gunicorn's --proxy-protocol flag causes connection failures when nginx sends standard HTTP headers.
Comprehensive test suite validating: - X-Forwarded-Proto preservation from reverse proxy - X-Forwarded-Proto fallback to $scheme for direct connections - WebSocket header proxying - Standard proxy headers (X-Real-IP, X-Forwarded-For, Host) 7 tests with proper value validation (not just presence checking)
Mock backend echoes all received headers as JSON for validation. Docker Compose orchestrates nginx + mock backend + test runner.
Explains all deployment scenarios tested, how to run tests, and what each test validates.
Validates nginx syntax and runs comprehensive test suite on: - Push to master/main branches - Pull requests - Changes to nginx.conf or tests/
Member
|
@GhostInTheNN I just now opened the pr, I had thought it was just a missing header or something like that, but you included a whole test suite! I'll properly look at it next ween when I'll have time |
Author
There was a problem hiding this comment.
My apologies. I was off grid for a bit.
The file is not critical. It was created for different use cases:
- pytest → CI/CD automation, PR validation, structured testing
- bash → Quick local checks, debugging, immediate feedback
test_nginx_config.py
- 7 pytest tests validating nginx proxy behavior
- CI/CD integrated - runs automatically on GitHub Actions
- Docker Compose orchestrated with mock backend
- Proper assertions on actual header values
- Primary validation for PR approval
test_nginx_scenarios.sh - The Quick Validator
- 6 bash test scenarios covering same cases
- Manual execution for rapid local testing
- Colored output (green/red) for immediate feedback
- Simple curl-based - no Docker Compose needed
- Developer tool for quick verification
This was
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Nov 19, 2025
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Proposed Changes
mapdirective to nginx.conf for universal X-Forwarded-Proto handling (works with/without upstream reverse proxy)--proxy-protocol Truefrom GUNICORN_CMD_ARGS in prod.env (incompatible with standard HTTP from nginx)Related Issue(s)
Closes #138
Background
I encountered issues integrating wger into my home lab environment using the default docker configuration. After investigation, I identified two issues that affect deployments across various network configurations:
--proxy-protocol Trueflag was incompatible with nginx's standard HTTP communicationTesting
All changes have been validated locally and pass the test suite:
Tests cover:
Deployment Scenarios Supported
✅ Behind reverse proxy (Traefik, Caddy, nginx)
✅ Direct connection
✅ Port forwarding with/without reverse proxy
✅ WebSocket connections
These changes are backwards compatible and don't break existing deployments.