[nylug-talk] VirtualDocumentRoot and PHP

[Tim Gales]

Ruben Safir wrote:
> On Sat, Feb 17, 2007 at 01:15:02PM -0500, Tim Gales wrote:
>> Ruben Safir wrote:
>>> On Fri, Feb 16, 2007 at 12:17:52AM -0500, Ron Guerin wrote:
>>>> Ruben Safir wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> But this is really not a matter of using a package manager or not.  It is an
>>>>> issue of Apache, and its configution and installation tools.  Apache has
>>>>> excellent installation tools, and configuration tools all its own.  They are
>>>>> well thought out, easy to use even by the novice, and essential to understand
>>>>> if one is to run an Apache Web Server.  Furthermore, Apache is designed to be
>>>>> expanded by modules making professional use of Apache OUTSIDE of any package 
>>>>> management an essestial aspect of running the server.
>> [ SNIP ]
>>  > Apache is designed to be installed by its source tree and to be
>>  > patched by its users.
>>
>> "It is the Apache HTTP Project's first goal to create a robust and 
>> correct implementation of the HTTP server RFC. Additional goals include 
>> security, scalability and optimization"
>> --  Version 2.0 Developer Documentation
>>
> 
> I have not much of an idea of what this has to do with the discussion of
> the Apache Projects mode of installation and configuration 

You are saying "Furthermore, Apache is designed to be
expanded by modules making professional use of Apache OUTSIDE of any 
package management an essestial aspect of running the server."

There is no design goal on the part of Apache developers
like that.

To paraphrase the developer's quote: The top design goal for
the Apache server was to build a solid and dependable server
(and we can infer that to mean one that would not need to be
recompiled a lot for maintenance by either the users or
their distributor/third party developers.)

Notwithstanding the fact thatApache developers have good
tools with which to build Apache, the developers clearly
wanted users to *not* have to recompile from source to
get diverse functionality.

The developers bent over backwards setting up the elaborate
directives in the httpd configuration file to allow users to
do just about anything from precompiled modules -- precompiled
so that it would easier for third party developers to
deliver then as packages.

Further, if you find yourself in an edge case where you
must hack up some module for a client, you should consider
creating a package and installing it with their package manager.

Apache is *not* designed to be extended with modules
"making professional use of Apache: (whatever that means)
OUTSIDE of any package management an essestial aspect
of running the server.

-- 

T. Gales & Associates
'Helping People Connect with Technology'

http://www.tgaconnect.com