Apache Web Server Admin - Day 1

Admin basics

• installing on linux or other free unix-like OS
  1. Root: Tell the package manager to install that package
  2. eyeball the configuration to see defaults
• installing on a non-free unix
  1. download (preferred)
  2. unzip the zipfile
  3. untar the tarball
  4. read the README file[s]
  5. root: run configure script[s]
  6. make [make test, make install]
     If things go wrong with the compilation you will fall back on your unixy and ANSI C programming skills.
  7. eyeball the configuration to see defaults, and files/dirs you need to create
• starting the daemon process
  1. package managers automagically start and change your startup scripts
  2. root: /path/to/httpd or apachectl start
  3. troubleshoot: almost certainly missing dirs and logfiles
  4. see if it's visible from your machine
  5. see if it's visible from a remote machine
  6. set up startup scripts
• stopping the daemon
  root: kill `cat /var/run/httpd.pid` or apachectl stop
• restarting the daemon
  root: kill -HUP `cat /var/run/httpd.pid` or apachectl restart

Critical configuration items

1. user [username] UID of webserver! Usually something specific: nobody, www-data, apache. httpd started as root but runs with a different effective ID.
2. group [groupname] GID of webserver! More security next session
3. group [groupname] GID of webserver!
4. servername [www.myserver.com] "www" is arbitrary; remember it's done in dns.
5. DocumentRoot [/path/to/docRoot] the main directory where the "homepage" is served from
6. TransferLog [/path/to/log] logs requests
7. ErrorLog [/path/to/log] logs errors

Homework

• virtual hosting 49-50, 58-64
• user websites 160-161
• setting up options with the config and .htaccess 68-70, 126-131
• modules
• CGI 75-90
• SSI 179-185
• mime handlers, actions 100-103
• authentication 104-117
• security 205

Remember, your login is based on your machine's hostname, not on any other number.
~/[initials] refers to the subdirectory under your homedir, named after your initials. Everything except for .dotfiles will be stored in your ~/[initials] directory.