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Apache Cookbook
The book has twelve chapters, covering everything from installation and adding modules through to proxies and performance. The chapter on security is the largest, it covers the topics well. By contrast I thought the chapter 'Aliases, Redirection and Rewriting' too short and could have benefited from some more 'recipes', but that may be due to my own bias - mod_rewrite is not an easy topic, and as I've said it causes me a great deal of grief.
It is laid out in a similar way to the Perl Cookbook: each recipe has a 'Problem' section followed by a 'Solution' and then 'Discussion.' In almost all the 'recipes' the 'Discussion' is longer than the 'Solution,' and I often found it far more useful and informative than the problem and its solution.
The Apache Cookbook covers almost all aspects and all parts of the learning curve for Apache. That will either be a strength or a weakness of this volume for you; with such a large and complex piece of software as Apache a single book cannot hope to cover it in a great deal of depth. For me this book was not really a cookbook, more a good source of well documented examples from which to create my own recipes,
My biggest problem reviewing a book like this is that after several years building and configuring Apache (even on an infrequent basis) quite a lot of this volume seems simple. You may also find it the same if you are the sort of person who is not afraid to pore over the documentation, get your hands dirty and make a few mistakes. If you like some hand holding and are just starting with Apache you may benefit from all of it.
That's not to say that I didn't personally find large chunks of this volume useful. Certainly I've gone over several of the recipes and their excellent explanatory text to shed some light on previously dark corners of Apache, particularly as the authors cover both Apache 1.3 and 2.0.
O'Reilly have the usual web page with a Table of Contents and example chapter. The example chapter, on error handling is well chosen as it is typical of the others and useful but not the most useful chapter.
I have recently been thinking that tech books fall into various sorts and there is one sort I'd call 'library books' - books you may not need to own, but will want to read every so often and would be good to have in your local or company library. Apache Cookbook is one of these, a book I'd recommend everyone coming to grips with Apache has close to hand, but it is not going to be constantly on your desk in the same way that Perl Cookbook might be for Perl programmers: to start off with, it's half the size and doesn't cover nearly as many topics. This one falls short of essential due to it's concentration on breadth. rather than depth. So my recommendation for this book is not that all Apache administrators should buy it, but you should have a copy close at hand.
You can purchase the Apache Cookbook from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
I really like the cookbook format as it allows me to see solutions in application. I have often found solutions to different (but related problems) by using the skill set. I'd love to pick this up!
Amazon Link
Froogle Link
Why is the 1.3 still so popular? Is the version 2 still unstable or something?
Only big problem I've ever encountered, and this may seem n00bish, but routing multiple domains to a single machine involved some heavy httpd.conf editing. Almost made me wish for a GUI, but what you learn from error and mistake, (over and over again) helps in the end.
But if you want you can use a more modular approach instead of keeping everything in one single file. Debian sid is currently experimenting with this in interesting ways in the apache2 packages.
Prescriptive grammar:linguistics
they should have something in there...cyber terror is scary!
So my recommendation for this book is not that all Apache administrators should buy it, but you should have a copy close at hand.
Isn't this why it's called a cookbook?
I too have submitted this story, only to have it rejected. Goatse.cx has had the greatest social and programmatical effect on Slashdot.org of any domain, period. They even changed Slashcode itself on account of goatse.cx... and now goatse.cx is removed due to registrar censorship, an issue Slashdot and its users hold dear, and no one hears about it. It is improper to ignore such an event.
Cretin - a powerful and flexible CD reencoder
The 'httpd.conf' file is a long and critical one.
For this reason, and for several more, whenever I don't need any of the multitude of Apache features, I install one of "mini servers" - for quite a while I was going on Boa, later switched to Mathopd, but I consider THTTPD or any of several other "tiny" webservers. Small, smart, fast and easy to configure. WAY easier than Apache.
(yeah, you may think you configured Apache right because it works... but what if you just opened several security holes you didn't understand? It's much better to have a tiny config file you can use for 8 things out of which you need 6, and understand all thoroughly, than one with 400 things out of which you need 12 and understand thoroughly less than 50.)
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
This is a godsend to those of us who are just starting out. Sure there is a lot of decent online documentation, but that requires running back and forth from machine to machine and taking a lot of notes.
I'll definitely be picking this up.
Damon,
http://actionPlant.com
Has there ever been an open source program as successful as the Apache web server? If we leave aside the various p2p freeware for music sharing, then perhaps none. Certainly, if we restrict our survey to web servers, Apache is head and shoulders above its peers. It is currently in its second major revision, 2.0, and is very stable and mature.
.NET/C# dynamic content. I am not sure that Apache can handle these yet, so you should stick with Microsoft's server
This book gives you a good grounding in both installing and running it, even if you have never run a website before. Those of you who used earlier versions may recall various installation shell scripts. At one point, these only ran on unix platforms. But this book makes clear in the first chapter that this is no longer true. An installation wizard gives you an easy walkthrough. Plus you can now install it on Microsoft Windows.
So given that Apache is free, shouldn't you already be using it? If you have only static content, or dynamic content that is restricted to the traditional cgi or the newer perl or PHP, then the book's sections on those show full functionality.
Remember too the other advantage cited in the book. Apache is extensible. So if you have a simple need that can be met by tweaking the existing source, you can do it yourself, instead of asking a vendor and waiting [and paying]. Plus, if Apache itself has a bug that you cannot fix, you know there will be many developers on the net who will do this, and quickly, because so many of us depend on Apache.
What are you waiting for?
The only caveat is when you should NOT use Apache [and this book]. Naturally, the book does not go into this, so let me help you. If you will be using EJBs, Java Server Pages or transactions, then this is higher level logic that, as far as I know, Apache does not currently handle. Instead, you should opt for J2EE web servers provided by jBoss, Sun, IBM, BEA or Oracle. Likewise if you have
--- any post that takes longer than 20 seconds to write, isn't worth writing
But decent professional development needs integration into n-tier business applications which must be done with
- an object orientated programming language
- supporting webservices or at least Corba and DCOM
- with aviable RAD tools enabled for the Rational, Waterfall or Xtreme Programming development process.
This reduces the choice to Java, Ruby andHonestly, I think that such books should burned in public to give other authors a decent warning. They are the source to unprofessional web portals, downtimes and Javascript terror rubbish we see these days on the net. Either do it right or don't do it. Sometimes I think there should be regulations for web application development like we have these days for plane or rocket design. Yes, that's hard but you must admit that I have a point.
Owner of a Mensa membership card.
Hi.
/dir/ except /dir/one and /dir/two/. Except that doesn't to work (although it does in perl).
I'd like to use a LocationMatch on a url where it matches everything, except for a couple of directories within that.
So something like
<LocationMatch ^/dir/(?:one|two)/*>
(if the greater than and less thans are missing, don't worry. They are in my httpd.conf)
to match everything in
Can anybody help? Oh, I'm using 1.3.19 on Solaris, if that makes a difference.
I mean when php breaks under 2.0 you do not know if it was php or apache that broke. Under 1.3 you can be pretty damn sure that it was php that broke due to one of their "keep the language functions changing randomly for no reason so as to break apps" approach to keeping php going.
Indian Ocean Group Training Association
Indian Ocean Group Training Association (IOGTA) is the main employment provider on Island. IOGTA also runs many training courses for more information on current training course please visit www.training.edu.cx/courses.html
Contact:
Phone: 9164 7220 or
Fax: 9164 7129
The collaboration of Apache software experts Ken Coar and Rich Bowen, Covering Apache 2.0 & 1.3, Apache Cookbook is a "user friendly" guide and comprehensive reference to the most widely used web server in the world. Offering common problems and solutions; step-by-step walk-throughs; discussion problems; sample codes; worked-out solutions; instructions for tasks such as installing the server or managing a proxy server, and so much more, Apache Cookbook is a "must-have" instructional reference for anyone charged with the responsibility of setting up or maintaining an Apache based web server.
--- any post that takes longer than 20 seconds to write, isn't worth writing
um how is this a troll? everything in the above post is true.
Cretin - a powerful and flexible CD reencoder
I suppose there isn't one. However, I'll be happy to write them an Apache module that will correct it if italics are still on at the end of a paragraph.
Don't use Apache or any freeware because, as Microsoft rightly point out:
You are taking jobs away from commercial companies.
Also, by using open source software, you are a communist, as well as a Economic terrorist.
We should use BEA, Microsoft, IBM solutions etc which put money back into the economy and keep people in jobs.
Try it yourself. Got o Amazon.com and type in the book's name, then compare the URIs.
Test before you post.
Then you can modbomb the whole thread to oblivion!
Amusing take on business development ;)
How do I get a virtual host to automatically redirect to a different virtual host and path? I want 'http://mail.foo.bar' to redirect to 'http://www.foo.bar/horde/imp/login.php'. I couldn't figure out how to do this...
Thought I was going to get some good Native American cooking recipes.
Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is a question of the first importance for the revolution. The basic reason why all previous revolutionary struggles in Rock-n-Roll achieved so little was their failure to unite with real friends in order to attack real enemies. A revolutionary party is the guide of the masses, and no revolution ever succeeds when the revolutionary party leads them astray. To ensure that we will definitely achieve success in our revolution and will not lead the masses astray, we must pay attention to uniting with our real friends in order to attack our real enemies. To distinguish real friends from real enemies, we must make a general analysis of the economic status of the various classes in Rock-n-Roll society and of their respective attitudes towards the revolution.
One of the people has the address "phil@training.edu.cx", I'll try sending something to "rhonda@training.edu.cx"..
Fucking cunt.
stick it up your ass, idiot blowhard.
"rhonda@training.edu.cx doesn't bounce. >:) I asked simply "Are you the person that had goatse.cx shut down?" I think a lack of a reply will be suspicious.
Trolling is a art,
Doesn't Austrailia have freedom of religion?!!!
We at Mensa take intelligence seriously. When we find a card has been given in error or we find that fraud was used in persuit of membership, we must take action!
We hereby revoke your membership in Mesna. Let that serve as fair warning to authors who cannot construct the most basic argument. What you have presented is an elementary school level debate position.
Please feel free to reapply when your intellect has reached the age of majority.
Check out the submission queue over at k5.
Tell us:
Your post will convince no one of anything without backing up these generalized statements with actual arguments. And while you might not want to spend the time to detail your reasoning, it's silly to post something with such a snotty attitude without correlating facts.
I'm not a Amazon affiliate. If I was, would I have put a Froogle link?
Mod this Troll down.
Barnes & Noble, the booksellers you recommend, deliberately price this book just under the $25 it takes to qualify for free delivery, then take all your information & charge your credit card before they disclose to you what the shipping & handling costs are. That's not honest business.
I recommend just going to Borders & paying for it. No wait, No shipping/handling tricks.
What if you need 20 out of 400 and understand 100? Or understand 18 needing 15 of 32, or even worse, need 12 out of 11 with understanding of 2. Or 13, 18, 4597, 129, 97...
Obviously picking the right web server can be a tough proposition.
eee
http://www.cgisecurity.net/webservers/apache/
This is typical garbage by snooty PHP haters, and is not supported by fact. I'm not going to get into a pointless argument with the "proud owner of a Mensa membership card"; clearly I'm not intellectually up to it. Besides, I'll probably become confused like a deer in the head lights when Mr. Mensa starts spewing "facts" about long depreciated (obsolete) versions of this armature tool for making inferior portals.
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
There are lots of examples of open source programs which are very complex and powerful and have a steep learning curve, forcing users to read lots of documentation before being able to do anything useful with them (random examples: mutt, mplayer, vi/emacs, sendmail). That's not the case with apache. A n00b who just wants to serve a few simple static pages can simply copy the files to www or public_html directory and they're done. You need to deal with the complexity only if you want to. I guess that's one of the reasons why its so popular.
Some care is needed with perms; apache will quite happily such in what is there; and careless use of symlink or allowing the creation of such may cause security holes.
Dw.
You should be running your server through the ringer every time you change something or new holes are found, every 2 weeks is a decent number.
;-)
This is just one of many steps to consider
It's a good idea to have a box local that is configured exactly like your live one for this, the tests can eat a lot of bandwidth and make a mess out of your logs. Of course if you are testing the box as a whole there is no substitute for testing the live box.
Look for guitar tab sites. There are tons. Listen to the song you're playing while looking at the tabulature.
Rinse, repeat.
HOLY JESUS JUMPING FUCK!! HER picture is WORSE than goatse! GAH!! *barfs* Someone should register rhondase.cx, paste her pic over goatse's anus, and slap it on the website! HTH
Comment removed based on user account deletion
life0cide.
consult with/trust in yOUR creators... yOUR service (intentions/behaviours) will provide all of us with immeasurable returns.
It's not. Really.
Why can't you run a browser while you configure the server?
You must not do much with sendmail....
7 November 2006: The day Americans realized corruption and incompetence weren't addressing 11 September 2001
The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank.
-- Scotty.
Thanks for a decent reply! I'll do that!
There's more than one way to skin a catfish.
To solve your problem with PHP, create an index.php file that contains this:
?php header ("Location: http://www.foo.bar/horde/imp/login.php'); ?
http://tinyurl.com/4ny52
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Should an apache cookbook include linking your old apache webserver to the slashdot frontpage?
or at least chili made with the rib meat of texas cowboys...
mod_rewrite's regex is just nuts, I have tried endlessly to map an old URL to a new simple one and in the end I just gave up and am living with the 404's !!
../cgi-bin/search?config=au&words=xyz
../cgi-bin/search?q=xyz
you try mapping:
to:
it just can't be done as far as I can see..
yet everything in the doc's say it can and yet every example and try I've had fails to work !?
ideas?
I think English is not this gentleman's native tongue... I've read several of his posts (Mensa membership .sig and all), and they are always rife with spelling, grammar, and syntax errors.
.sig is simply there as a backhanded attempt at a troll... it certainly provokes a response from virtually everyone.
Note: when bragging about your intelligence in an adopted language, it pays to actually be adept with that language... otherwise, whether you intend to or not, you'll provide amusement and provoke snide comments from the native speakers.
Perhaps the
Even if a man chops off your hand with a sword, you still have two nice, sharp bones to stick in his eyes.
try:
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} "words=([a-zA-Z0-9]+)"
RewriteRule "(/cgi-bin/search)(\?.*)?" "$1?q=%1" [PT]
just a guess..
the review didn't mention it afaics, and neither does o'reilly, but we have a companion site for this book: Apache-Cookbook.Com. that's where we keep the up-to-date errata, the table of contents, and a random recipe-of-the-day. (and soon reviews and review pointers.)
just fwiw.
#ken P-)}
Ken Coar
Apache Software Foundation
To be fair, intelligence does not necessarily manifest itself in correct spelling and grammar, and lack of the latter does not imply a lack of the former. Intelligence is a complex phenomenon (you might even say it's sophisticated).
And these days there are some non-native speakers and writers out there who know spelling and grammar much better than most natives because they have actually spent a few years studying the language.
From what I hear, next year's dictionaries will have the following new possessive pronouns: your's, he's, her's, it's, our's, your's, their's (American English: there's). The jury is still out on where they'll accomodate the apostrophe in "mine".
And I do not think this aberration was invented by non-native speakers.