Using remote image files when you develop locally

Aug 22nd, 2013

Here's how to use Apache's rewrite rules to serve files from a remote server. This comes in handy when you have a large /sites/*/files directory. There are modules that can do this (Stage File Proxy) and probably a million other solutions but this one is simple and efficient.

Taken from:http://www.lullabot.com/blog/article/using-remote-image-files-when-you-develop-locally

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine on
    # Force image styles that have local files that exist to be generated.
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/sites/([^\/])/files/styles/[^\/]/public/((.))$
    RewriteCond %{DOCUMENT_ROOT}/sites/%1/files/%2 -f
    RewriteRule ^(.)$ $1 [QSA,L]
    # Otherwise, send anything else that's in the files directory to the
    # production server.
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/sites/[^\/]/files/.$
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/sites/[^\/]/files/css/.$
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/sites/[^\/]/files/js/.$
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.example.com/$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

Internal References

Stage File Proxy

Article Type

General