Create a single public page within a SAML private site using Views

DISCLAIMER: While following these steps will allow you to have a single-publically accessible content page, you cannot have any slideshows, or standard homepage styles appearances on the homepage, the standard page will typically have a button to login to your website and some disclaimer or about information.   We do not support customization and you are on your own for making this page as you see fit.

OPTIONS ONE:

  1. First create your page as you normally would.  You'll want to save the page, ensure that it is published and then go back to the Edit page and jot down the unique ID for the page from the URL string.   For example your page string might look like this:
  2. /node/26/edit?destination=admin/content
    Therefore for your Page Node ID is 26.
  3. Goto the Modules menu, enable the Views UI module.
  4. From the Structure Menu, choose Views -> Add New View
  5. Define a Name (can be same as your page name) and under show section, Content, Type All, Newest First leave as is.
  6. Under Create a Page
    1. Define your Page Title
    2. Define your path to your page such as /my-public-page
    3. Set Items to Display to 1 (one).
    4. Disable the Use a Pager option.
    5. Click Continue and Edit.
  7. For Formatting choose, unformatted List.
  8. For Content choose Full Content from the View Mode options
  9. Under Advanced settings, choose Contextual Filter
    1. Add a Contenxual Filter
    2. Provide a default Value
    3. Type should be of Fixed Value
    4. Enter the Node ID you recorded early, in this example we enter 26
    5. Click the Apply button.
  10. Under Access (near Page Settings) click the option for Page Access Restrictions: None.   Apply.
  11. Save your View
  12. Now from another browser or New Private Windows (sometimes called Incognito Window), check to see if you page path is working as designed while logged out of the site.
  13. If everything went correctly you should see the full page of content without being able to login with the path you defined in the Views UI.

OPTION 2:

  1. Enable the Custom Error Module
  2. From the Custom Error module page, define your custom 403 page as you see fit.  Make sure to add a login button for your SAML authentication which point to /saml_login
  3. That's pretty much it!
Tutorial Tags: 
Administration
Editorial
Tutorial Difficulty: 
Advanced