Local Apache

This is a utility to run Apache httpd privately, best suited for these cases:

You want to run a web server without the root privilege.
You do not want to edit the system-side httpd.conf.
You want to create a self-contained, disposable installation under a home or tmp directory.
The local httpd.conf should be minimum as far as the server is functional.
You want to add more configurations for experiments.

Prerequisite

Apache 2.x must be installed in the system.

Getting started

Run the commands as below install the directory:

$ cd {your directory}
$ git clone {the repository}
$ cd local-apache

Start the web server:

$ ./bin/apachectl

Create an index.html file:

$ echo Hello World > docs/index.html

Then you can open http://localhost:8080/ with the browser. If it doesn't work, see the error log (logs/error.log) and consult the Troubleshooting section below.

./bin/apachectl is a wrapper that works just like apachectl.

$ ./bin/apachectl -k stop
$ ./bin/apachectl -k restart
$ ./bin/apachectl -k graceful

If you want to use a different port number, set the SERVER_PORT environment variable.

$ SERVER_PORT=5555 ./bin/apachectl

Directory layout

./bin

Utility scripts, including apachectl wrapper

./conf

Contains minimum httpd.conf with Include conf/include/*.conf directive.

You can add your additional configurations to the include sub-directory.

Any files with the bundled- prefix indicate pre-bundled in this distribution (git repository). In addition, conf/include/local.conf is automatically generated (only when it does not exist) to include environment-specific configuration.

./docs

This is the document root.

Any URL paths that contain /cgi-bin/ or end with .cgi will invoke the scripts as CGI.

Optionally, create a symlink to use your existing document root:

$ rmdir docs
$ ln -s /existing/document/root docs

./logs

access.log
error.log
cgi.log

./modules

Unless the directory exists at startup time, a symlink is automatically created.

./run

httpd.pid
accept.lock.*

Troubleshooting

AH00534: httpd: Configuration error: No MPM loaded.

Add an MPM module. E.g.

LoadModule mpm_prefork_module modules/mod_mpm_prefork.so

AH00136: Server MUST relinquish startup privileges before accepting connections. Please ensure mod_unixd or other system security module is loaded.

Add mod_unixd:

LoadModule unixd_module modules/mod_unixd.so

AH00025: configuration error: couldn't check user: /

Add mod_authz_core:

LoadModule authz_core_module modules/mod_authz_core.so

License

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); See the LICENSE file.

pdelong42 / local-apache