Apache Installation by Jack Davis

1. Apache Installationby Jack Davis

2. Web Servers • The Apache HTTP Server is the most widely used web server on the Internet. Apache is fast, free, and full-featured. It runs on many different platforms and has a multitude of third-party modules available to expand its functionality. • http://www.apache.org/index.html

3. Understanding Apache • Apache source, httpd – standard set of modules, numerous header and configuration files • compiling apache – compile the server for your architecture and purposes using the config-make-make install routine common to open source software • the latest version of gcc or other ANSI c compiler is required

4. How does it work? • httpd – listens for requests and delivers files • Apache modules are added to implement additional functionality • A set of standard modules is delivered with the server when downloading • httpd.conf – a text file that contains most set-up information for the server

5. httpd.conf • The configuration files contain directives, which are one-line commands that tell the server what to do. • The first thing Apache needs from the configuration file are basics like the listening port, server name, the default locations for content, logs, and other important files.

6. Example Directives • ServerType standalone • Port 80 • ServerAdmin webmaster@www.radford.edu/... • ServerName itec325server.radford.edu • User nobody • Group nobody

7. Handling Requests • On Unix systems – the Apache daemon httpd always starts itself as a system superuser (root). • On Windows – the Apache service is called apache and runs with administrator privileges. • Once started – apache listens for requests on any address and port to which it has been configured

8. Handling Requests(Continued) • Once a request is received- apache spawns a separate process to handle the connection- the spawned process does not run as the superuser (for security reasons)- it returns files to the client- normally apache has five such processes waiting for connections –

9. Handling Requests(continued) • all resources (html docs etc) reside under a single root directory defined by the DocumentRoot directive • this defines the base directory that is prepended to a URL path to locate a file on the server • more complex mapping can be defined through aliasing, redirection, URL rewriting

10. Installation Process • make a new directory called src just below your name directory (home/jcdavis/src) • make a new directory named apache just below your name directory (home/jcdavis/apache) • http://www.apache.org/dist/httpd • download httpd-2.0.47.tar.gz into src(or current version) • use gunzip to uncompresssrc>gunzip < httpd-2.0*.tar.gz | tar xvf – • need to configuresrc> ./configure –prefix=/home/jcdavis/apache –enable-module=so

11. Installation Process (continued) • The purpose of the configure script is to figure out everything related to finding libraries, compile-time options, platform-specific differences, etc. • Next have to makeapache>make • after finished have to installapache>make install

12. Installation Process(continued) • at the promptapache>./bin/httpd –v • you should see the following outputServer version:Apache/2.0.47Server built: Sep 1 2002 09:20:47 • to start & stop apacheapache> apachectl start (restart) > apachectl stop DON’T START YET, must edit config

13. Installation Process(continued) • You must edit the httpd.conf file that is in the conf directory under apache/conf (with vim or pico) • Here are the changes- in the # prefork MPM section MAXSPARESERVERS 10 5 MAXCLIENTS 150  50 - #LISTEN CHANGE PORT NUMBER TO YOUR ASSIGNED PORT NUMBER

14. Control Commands • apache> ./bin/apachectl start (restart) • apache> ./bin/apachectl stop • you should stop your server to minimize load on rucs whenever you’re not using it • once started, open a browserhttp://rucs.radford.edu:portnumber/ • you should receive a default page from apache that is rendered in the browser

15. Configuration File • Apache keeps all of its configuration information in text files. The main file is named httpd.conf. • It contains directives and containers • Directives configure specific settings of Apache, such as authorization, performance, and network parameters. • Containers specify the context to which those settings refer.

16. Directives • directive arguments follow the directive name. • directive arguments are separated by spaces. • number and type of arguments vary from directive to directive. • a directive occupies a single line, but can be continued by using a backslash \ to end the previous line • the pound (#) sign should precede the directive and must appear on its own line

17. Documentation • Server Documentation found athttp://httpd.apache.org/docs-2.0/ • quick reference for all directives http://httpd.apache.org/docs-2.0/mod/quickreference.html

18. Containers • Also called sections, limit the scope for which directives apply. If directives are not inside a container, they belong to the default server scope (serverconfig) and apply to the server as a whole. • Default Apache directive containers:- <VirtualHost> specifies a virtual server- <Directory><DirectoryMatch> directories- <Location><LocationMatch> URL’s- <Files><FilesMatch> certain files or patterns

19. Log Files • Apache includes two log files by default- access_log is used to track client requests- error_log is used to record important events such as errors or server restarts

20. Installing PHP • First, you must check to see that you don’t have an Ada compiler in your path variable in the .cshrc.solaris file- if you’ve been here for several years or have taken the Ada class you will have:source /usr/local/bin/ada_env near the end of the file • you’ll have to comment out this line &log-off then log back on

21. Download the PHP files • go to http://www.php.net/ and follow the link to the downloads section • download the latest version of the source code, version 4.3.3 to your src directory • again you’ll have to untar this file>tar –xvzf php-4.3.3.tar.gz • you’ll have to move to the newly created php-4.3.3 directory, cd php-4.3.3

22. Configure • to execute the configure script> ./configure –prefix=/home/username/php -- with-mysql=/home/mysql-php/mysql -- with-apxs2=/home/jcdavis/apache/bin/apxs(type this in one long command, let it wrap)(remember to replace username with your username, like jrsmith)

23. Make & Install • Issue the make command> make • then the make install> make install • two important files must be copied • you’ll need to change directories:> cd /home/username/src/php4.3.3

24. Copy Files • cp php.ini-dist /home/username/php/lib/php.inithis copies the distributed version of php.ini to its default location • cp libs/libphp4.so /home/username/apache/modules/(this can be all on one line with space after cp and after .so)copies the shared object file

25. Test • use http://rucs.radford.edu:portnumber/should bring up a default page from the apache server • put in an index.php file (it’s just a standard html file and see if you add that to the request if the file displays