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| <title>Apache Server Frequently Asked Questions</title> |
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| <h1 align="CENTER">Apache Server Frequently Asked |
| Questions</h1> |
| |
| <p>$Revision: 1.99 $ ($Date: 2010/12/10 10:13:45 $)</p> |
| |
| <p><b>Please note that this document refers to a version of the |
| product which has been deprecated, and declared "end of life", in |
| favor of the <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/docs/current">more recent |
| version of the server</a>. Information obtained here is likely to be |
| outdated and inaccurate.</b></p> |
| |
| <p>The latest version of this FAQ is available on the HTTP Server |
| Wiki, at <<a href="http://wiki.apache.org/httpd/FAQ" rel="Help" |
| ><samp>http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/misc/FAQ.html</samp></a>>. |
| This version is no longer maintained, and contains inaccurate |
| and grossly outdated information.</p> |
| |
| <!-- Notes about changes: Don't make any. Make them in the wiki. --> |
| |
| <h2>The Questions</h2> |
| |
| <ol type="A"> |
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| <li value="1"> |
| <strong>Background</strong> |
| |
| <ol> |
| <li><a href="#what">What is Apache?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#why">How and why was Apache |
| created?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#name">Why the name "Apache"?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#compare">How does Apache compare to |
| other servers?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#tested">How thoroughly tested is |
| Apache?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#future">What are the future plans for |
| Apache?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#support">Whom do I contact for |
| support?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#more">Is there any more information on |
| Apache?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#where">Where can I get Apache?</a></li> |
| |
| <li><a href="#logo">May I use the Apache logo on my |
| product or Web site?</a></li> |
| </ol> |
| </li> |
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| </ol> |
| <hr /> |
| |
| <h2>The Answers</h2> |
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| |
| <h3>A. Background</h3> |
| |
| <ol> |
| <li> |
| <a id="what" name="what"><strong>What is |
| Apache?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>The Apache httpd server</p> |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li>is a powerful, flexible, HTTP/1.1 compliant web |
| server</li> |
| |
| <li>implements the latest protocols, including HTTP/1.1 |
| (RFC2616)</li> |
| |
| <li>is highly configurable and extensible with |
| third-party modules</li> |
| |
| <li>can be customised by writing 'modules' using the |
| Apache module API</li> |
| |
| <li>provides full source code and comes with an |
| unrestrictive license</li> |
| |
| <li>runs on Windows NT/9x, Netware 5.x and above, OS/2, and most |
| versions of Unix, as well as several other operating |
| systems</li> |
| |
| <li>is actively being developed</li> |
| |
| <li>encourages user feedback through new ideas, bug |
| reports and patches</li> |
| |
| <li> |
| implements many frequently requested features, |
| including:<br /> |
| <br /> |
| |
| |
| <dl> |
| <dt>DBM databases for authentication</dt> |
| |
| <dd>allows you to easily set up password-protected |
| pages with enormous numbers of authorized users, |
| without bogging down the server.</dd> |
| |
| <dt>Customized responses to errors and problems</dt> |
| |
| <dd>Allows you to set up files, or even CGI scripts, |
| which are returned by the server in response to |
| errors and problems, e.g. setup a script to intercept |
| <strong>500 Server Error</strong>s and perform |
| on-the-fly diagnostics for both users and |
| yourself.</dd> |
| |
| <dt>Multiple DirectoryIndex directives</dt> |
| |
| <dd>Allows you to say <code>DirectoryIndex index.html |
| index.cgi</code>, which instructs the server to |
| either send back <code>index.html</code> or run |
| <code>index.cgi</code> when a directory URL is |
| requested, whichever it finds in the directory.</dd> |
| |
| <dt>Unlimited flexible URL rewriting and |
| aliasing</dt> |
| |
| <dd>Apache has no fixed limit on the numbers of |
| Aliases and Redirects which may be declared in the |
| config files. In addition, a powerful rewriting |
| engine can be used to solve most URL manipulation |
| problems.</dd> |
| |
| <dt>Content negotiation</dt> |
| |
| <dd>i.e. the ability to automatically serve clients |
| of varying sophistication and HTML level compliance, |
| with documents which offer the best representation of |
| information that the client is capable of |
| accepting.</dd> |
| |
| <dt>Virtual Hosts</dt> |
| |
| <dd>A much requested feature, sometimes known as |
| multi-homed servers. This allows the server to |
| distinguish between requests made to different IP |
| addresses or names (mapped to the same machine). |
| Apache also offers dynamically configurable |
| mass-virtual hosting.</dd> |
| |
| <dt>Configurable Reliable Piped Logs</dt> |
| |
| <dd>You can configure Apache to generate logs in the |
| format that you want. In addition, on most Unix |
| architectures, Apache can send log files to a pipe, |
| allowing for log rotation, hit filtering, real-time |
| splitting of multiple vhosts into separate logs, and |
| asynchronous DNS resolving on the fly.</dd> |
| </dl> |
| </li> |
| </ul> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="why" name="why"><strong>How and why was Apache |
| created?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>The <a |
| href="http://httpd.apache.org/ABOUT_APACHE.html">About |
| Apache</a> document explains how the Apache project evolved |
| from its beginnings as an outgrowth of the NCSA httpd |
| project to its current status as one of the fastest, most |
| efficient, and most functional web servers in |
| existence.</p> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="name" name="name"><strong>Why the name |
| "Apache"?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>The name 'Apache' was chosen from respect for |
| the Native American Indian tribe of Apache (Indé), |
| <a href="http://www.indians.org/welker/apache.htm">well-known |
| for their superior skills in warfare strategy and their |
| inexhaustible endurance</a>. For more information on the |
| Apache Nation, we suggest searching |
| <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=Apache+Nation">Google</a>, |
| or |
| <a href="http://www.alltheweb.com/cgi-bin/asearch?query=Apache+Nation" |
| >AllTheWeb</a>.</p> |
| |
| <p>Secondarily, and more popularly (though incorrectly) accepted, |
| it's a considered cute name which stuck. Apache is "<strong>A |
| PA</strong>t<strong>CH</strong>y server". It was based on |
| some existing code and a series of "patch files".</p> |
| |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="compare" name="compare"><strong>How does |
| Apache compare to other servers?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>Benchmarks tend to be a measure of configuration competance, |
| rather than of server quality. That is, if you're an expert in |
| IIS, you can probably get it to run faster than you can get |
| Apache to run. You can therefore find comparisions of various |
| HTTP servers that prove that each is faster than all the others. |
| We tend to take server performance benchmarks with a grain of |
| salt.</p> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="tested" name="tested"><strong>How thoroughly tested |
| is Apache?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>Apache is run on over 110 million Internet servers (as of |
| April 2010) (Source, <a |
| href="http://netcraft.com/">Netcraft</a>). |
| It has been tested thoroughly by both |
| developers and users. The Apache HTTP Server Project Management |
| Committee maintains rigorous |
| standards before releasing new versions of their server, |
| and our server runs without a hitch on over one half of all |
| WWW servers available on the Internet. When bugs do show |
| up, we release patches and new versions as soon as they are |
| available.</p> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="future" name="future"><strong>What are the future |
| plans for Apache?</strong></a> |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li>to continue to be an "open source" no-charge-for-use |
| HTTP server,</li> |
| |
| <li>to keep up with advances in HTTP protocol and web |
| developments in general,</li> |
| |
| <li>to collect suggestions for fixes/improvements from |
| its users,</li> |
| |
| <li>to respond to needs of large volume providers as well |
| as occasional users.</li> |
| </ul> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="support" name="support"><strong>Whom do I contact |
| for support?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>There is no official support for Apache. None of the |
| developers want to be swamped by a flood of trivial |
| questions that can be resolved elsewhere. Bug reports and |
| suggestions should be sent <em>via</em> <a |
| href="http://httpd.apache.org/bug_report.html">the bug |
| report page</a>. Other questions should be directed to the |
| <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/userslist.html">Apache HTTP |
| Server Users List</a> or the |
| <a |
| href="news:comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix">comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix</a> |
| or <a |
| href="news:comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows">comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows</a> |
| newsgroup (as appropriate for the platform you use), where |
| some of the Apache team lurk, in the company of many other |
| httpd gurus who should be able to help. The <code>#httpd</code> |
| channel on the <code>irc.libera.chat</code> IRC network is a |
| good place for quick questions.</p> |
| |
| <p>Commercial support for Apache is, however, available |
| from a number of third parties.</p> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="more" name="more"><strong>Is there any more |
| information available on Apache?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>Indeed there is. See the main <a |
| href="http://httpd.apache.org/">Apache web site</a>. |
| There are also many <a |
| href="http://www.apachebookstore.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Books+on+Apache+HTTP+Server+(httpd)">books about the Apache HTTP Server</a> |
| available.</p> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="where" name="where"><strong>Where can I get |
| Apache?</strong></a> |
| |
| <p>You can find out how to download the source for Apache |
| at the project's <a href="http://httpd.apache.org/">main |
| web page</a>.</p> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| |
| <li> |
| <a id="logo" name="logo"><b>May I use the Apache logo on my |
| product or Web site?</b></a> |
| |
| <p>You may <b>NOT</b> use any original artwork from the |
| Apache Software Foundation, nor make or use modified |
| versions of such artwork, except under the following |
| conditions:</p> |
| |
| <ul> |
| <li>You may use the <a |
| href="http://www.apache.org/images/apache_pb.gif">'Powered by Apache' |
| graphic</a> on a Web site that is being served by the |
| Apache HTTP server software.</li> |
| |
| <li>You may use the aforementioned 'Powered by Apache' |
| graphic or the <a |
| href="http://www.apache.org/images/asf_logo.gif"> |
| Apache Software Foundation logo</a> in product |
| description and promotional material <b>IF and ONLY |
| IF</b> such use can in no way be interpreted as anything |
| other than an attribution. Using the Apache name and |
| artwork in a manner that implies endorsement of a product |
| or service is <b>strictly forbidden</b>.</li> |
| </ul> |
| <hr /> |
| </li> |
| </ol> |
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