Rails & restful_authentication woes with Internet Explorer (all versions)

Question

I have a rails application deployed that works fine in Safari, Firefox, and Opera. However, when I try and login from Internet Explorer 6+, I get taken to the correct page but nothing shows up. The source says everything is there, but the page is just blank. When I hit refresh everything works normally. Anyone have experience with this?

---

Relevant code:

##application controller

# Filters added to this controller apply to all controllers in the application.
# Likewise, all the methods added will be available for all controllers.

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base
  helper :all # include all helpers, all the time 
  layout 'public'
  before_filter :presenter

  include AuthenticatedSystem
  # See ActionController::RequestForgeryProtection for details
  # Uncomment the :secret if you're not using the cookie session store
  protect_from_forgery  :secret => 'secrete code'

  # See ActionController::Base for details 
  # Uncomment this to filter the contents of submitted sensitive data parameters
  # from your application log (in this case, all fields with names like "password"). 
  # filter_parameter_logging :password

  def index
  end

  def terms
  end


  def contact
    @contact = Contact.new
  end

  def send_contact_request
    @contact = Contact.new(params['contact'])

    if @contact.save
     begin
        UserMailer.deliver_contact_message(@contact)
        flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("notification", "Success!", "Your message has been delivered.")
        redirect_to root_path
     rescue
        flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("error", "Error!", "There was an error delivering your request.")
        render :action=>"contact"
    end
    else
      render :action=>"contact"
    end
  end

  def schedule
    @schedule = Schedule.new
  end

  def schedule_testing
    @schedule = Schedule.new(params['schedule'])

    if @schedule.save && @schedule.agreed?
        UserMailer.deliver_testing_request(@schedule)
        flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("notification", "Success!", "Your request has been delivered.")
        redirect_to root_path
    else
      flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("error", "Error!", "There was an error delivering your request.")
      render :action => "schedule"
    end
  end

  protected
    def presenter 
      @presenter = AdminPresenter.new(:param => current_user)
    end
end

##sessions controller

# This controller handles the login/logout function of the site.  
class SessionsController < ApplicationController

  # Be sure to include AuthenticationSystem in Application Controller instead
  include AuthenticatedSystem

  layout 'public'

  before_filter :presenter

  # render new.rhtml
  def new
  end

  def create
    logout_keeping_session!
    user = User.authenticate(params[:email], params[:password])
    if user
      # Protects against session fixation attacks, causes request forgery
      # protection if user resubmits an earlier form using back
      # button. Uncomment if you understand the tradeoffs.
      # reset_session
      self.current_user = user
      new_cookie_flag = (params[:remember_me] == "1")
      handle_remember_cookie! new_cookie_flag
      if user.password_changed?    
        redirect_back_or_default(admin_index_path)
        flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("notification", "Welcome!", "Logged in successfully.")
      else
        redirect_to edit_admin_user_path(user)        
        flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("warning", "Welcome!", "Please change your password to something more memorable.")
      end
    else
      note_failed_signin
      @email       = params[:email]
      @remember_me = params[:remember_me]
      render :action => 'new'
    end
  end

  def destroy
    logout_killing_session!
    redirect_to admin_index_path
    flash.now[:notice] = @presenter.notify("notification", "Success!", "You have been logged out.")
  end

protected
  # Track failed login attempts
  def note_failed_signin
    @email = params[:email]
    flash[:notice] = @presenter.notify("error", "Error!", "Could not log you in as #{@email}.")
    logger.warn "Failed login for '#{params[:email]}' from #{request.remote_ip} at #{Time.now.utc}"
  end

    def presenter
      @presenter = AdminPresenter.new(:param => @map)
    end
end

##log response for IE

Processing SessionsController#create (for IP ADDY at 2009-05-12 14:44:57) [POST]
  Session ID: fccb95ca6fd7a7730b7a585f1c8457a3
  Parameters: {"commit"=>"Log in", "authenticity_token"=>"8a05db56dbd6e7116fb82e4f3fdb77df75383ede", "password"=>"secret", "email"=>"[email protected]"}
Cookie set: auth_token=; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT
  [4;36;1mUser Load (0.1ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `users` WHERE (email = '[email protected]' and activated_at IS NOT NULL) LIMIT 1[0m
  [4;35;1mSQL (0.0ms)[0m   [0mBEGIN[0m
  [4;36;1mSQL (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mCOMMIT[0m
Cookie set: auth_token=; path=/
Redirected to /admin
Completed in 1ms (DB: 0) | 302 Found [http://www.gessnerengineering.com/session]


Processing AdminController#index (for IP ADDY at 2009-05-12 14:44:57) [GET]
  Session ID: fccb95ca6fd7a7730b7a585f1c8457a3
  [4;35;1mUser Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `users` WHERE (`users`.`id` = 12) LIMIT 1[0m
  [4;36;1mProfile Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `profiles` WHERE (approved = 0) [0m
  [4;35;1mProject Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `projects` WHERE (approved = 0) [0m
  [4;36;1mMap Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `maps` WHERE (approved = 0) [0m
  [4;35;1mProfile Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `profiles` WHERE (score_approved = 0) [0m
Rendering template within layouts/admin
Rendering admin/index
  [4;36;1mProfile Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `profiles` WHERE (`profiles`.user_id = 12) LIMIT 1[0m
  [4;35;1mRole Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `roles` WHERE (`roles`.`id` = 1) [0m
Rendered admin/users/_user_bar (0.1ms)
  [4;36;1mCACHE (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `roles` WHERE (`roles`.`id` = 1) [0m
Completed in 3ms (View: 2, DB: 3) | 200 OK [http://www.gessnerengineering.com/admin]

##log response for Firefox

Processing SessionsController#create (for IP ADDY at 2009-05-12 14:46:57) [POST]
  Session ID: 163aa367284e7734a17c545fcf85bc95
  Parameters: {"commit"=>"Log in", "authenticity_token"=>"bc549a7f2ae4a937044db12e283c1af13e045b50", "password"=>"secret", "email"=>"[email protected]"}
Cookie set: auth_token=; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 GMT
  [4;35;1mUser Load (0.1ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `users` WHERE (email = '[email protected]' and activated_at IS NOT NULL) LIMIT 1[0m
  [4;36;1mSQL (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mBEGIN[0m
  [4;35;1mSQL (0.0ms)[0m   [0mCOMMIT[0m
Cookie set: auth_token=; path=/
Redirected to /admin
Completed in 2ms (DB: 0) | 302 Found [http://www.gessnerengineering.com/session]


Processing AdminController#index (for IP ADDY at 2009-05-12 14:46:57) [GET]
  Session ID: 163aa367284e7734a17c545fcf85bc95
  [4;36;1mUser Load (0.1ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `users` WHERE (`users`.`id` = 12) LIMIT 1[0m
  [4;35;1mProfile Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `profiles` WHERE (approved = 0) [0m
  [4;36;1mProject Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `projects` WHERE (approved = 0) [0m
  [4;35;1mMap Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `maps` WHERE (approved = 0) [0m
  [4;36;1mProfile Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `profiles` WHERE (score_approved = 0) [0m
Rendering template within layouts/admin
Rendering admin/index
  [4;35;1mProfile Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `profiles` WHERE (`profiles`.user_id = 12) LIMIT 1[0m
  [4;36;1mRole Load (0.0ms)[0m   [0;1mSELECT * FROM `roles` WHERE (`roles`.`id` = 1) [0m
Rendered admin/users/_user_bar (0.1ms)
  [4;35;1mCACHE (0.0ms)[0m   [0mSELECT * FROM `roles` WHERE (`roles`.`id` = 1) [0m
Completed in 4ms (View: 2, DB: 3) | 200 OK [http://www.gessnerengineering.com/admin]

Answer 1

Try validating your markup (HTML) using something like the W3 Schools Validator. IE is (surprisingly) more strict at times with markup, and sometimes if it can't "figure it out", it bombs and won't render elements. The validator can sometimes track down un-closed tags and the like.