try_files finds file but still goes to next one [closed] - nginx

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this nginx config is supposed to load index.php from a folder (test), and if it doesn't exist then load index.php from parent folder.
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
}
location ~ ^/test/(.*)$ {
try_files $uri $uri/ /test/index.php?$query_string /index.php?$query_string;
}
if I go to /test it works as expected.
but if I go to /test/something it loads index.php from root instead of the index.php from the parent folder.
Weirdly, if I remove the last /index.php?$query_string from the 2nd location block, then it actually loads the index.php from the parent folder.
So apparently the parent index is found, but for some reason nginx is deciding to look further.. Anyone know why?

Answer 1

Did you read the try_files directive documentation carefully? The very last parameter, if not being specified as HTTP return code or a named location name, treated as a new URI to re-evaluate from the beginning. Every other parameter treated as a file name relative to the location root. That does include every character (well, except the last slash if being specified), so nginx will check the whole $document_root/test/index.php?$query_string file existence. The ?$query_string part is not treated as an URI query string part here, but as a filename part. And even if such a file will be found, it will be served using this location content handler, which is a static one by default (unless you specified something else explicitly using the content handler declaration directive like proxy_pass, fastcgi_pass, uwsgi_pass, etc.)
The reason your PHP files gets processed with the PHP handler (usually something like location ~ \.php$ { ... }) even if your request URI doesn't include the PHP filename is either implicit redirect issued by the index directive if your try_files include the $uri/ argument (read that one documentation carefully too) or explicit redirect issued via the last /index.php?$query_string parameter of the try_files directive. Here is a quote of the most relevant index documentation part to explain this with an example:
It should be noted that using an index file causes an internal redirect, and the request can be processed in a different location. For example, with the following configuration:
location = / {
index index.html;
}
location / {
...
}
a / request will actually be processed in the second location as /index.html.
Take into attention that the regex matching locations, while having a greater priority over the prefix ones (yes, the location directive documentation is useful too), are checked in order of appearance, and the very first matched the URI will be chosen to handle the request.
Summary
Assuming your location ~ \.php$ { ... } PHP handler located above the location ~ ^/test/(.*)$ { ... }:
If your URI is /test/, it is an implicit internal redirect to /test/index.php made by index directive that makes that file to be interpreted via the PHP handler;
If your URI is /test/something and your try_files directive is try_files $uri $uri/ /test/index.php?$query_string /index.php?$query_string;, explicit internal redirect to /index.php?$query_string happens;
If your URI is /test/something and your try_files directive is try_files $uri $uri/ /test/index.php?$query_string;, explicit internal redirect to /test/index.php?$query_string happens.
If your location ~ \.php$ { ... } PHP handler will be located below the location ~ ^/test/(.*)$ { ... }:
If your URI is /test/, an implicit internal redirect by index directive to /test/index.php will took its place on the first step; on the next step you've got your /test/index.php source code in response due to the static content handler of location ~ ^/test/(.*)$ { ... };
If your URI is /test/something and your try_files directive is try_files $uri $uri/ /test/index.php?$query_string /index.php?$query_string;, explicit internal redirect to /index.php?$query_string happens;
If your URI is /test/something and your try_files directive is try_files $uri $uri/ /test/index.php?$query_string;, explicit internal to /test/index.php?$query_string happens on the first step; on the second step you've got /test/index.php source code in response by the reason already explained.