Introduction to Apache HTTPD
The Apache HTTPD package contains an open-source HTTP
server. It is useful for creating local intranet web sites or running huge
web serving operations.
![[Note]](../images/note.png)
Note
Development versions of BLFS may not build or run
some packages properly if LFS or dependencies have been updated
since the most recent stable versions of the books.
Package Information
Additional Downloads
Apache HTTPD Dependencies
Required
Apr-Util-1.6.3 and
pcre2-10.42
Optional
Brotli-1.1.0,
Doxygen-1.9.8,
jansson-2.14,
libxml2-2.12.1,
Lua-5.4.6,
Lynx-2.8.9rel.1 or
Links-2.29 or
ELinks,
nghttp2-1.58.0,
OpenLDAP-2.6.6 (Apr-Util-1.6.3 needs to be
installed with ldap support),
rsync-3.2.7,
Berkeley DB (deprecated), and
Distcache
Editor Notes: https://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/apache
Installation of Apache HTTPD
For security reasons, running the server as an unprivileged user and group
is strongly encouraged. Create the following group and user using the
following commands as root:
groupadd -g 25 apache &&
useradd -c "Apache Server" -d /srv/www -g apache \
-s /bin/false -u 25 apache
Build and install Apache HTTPD by running the
following commands:
patch -Np1 -i ../httpd-2.4.58-blfs_layout-1.patch &&
sed '/dir.*CFG_PREFIX/s@^@#@' -i support/apxs.in &&
sed -e '/HTTPD_ROOT/s:${ap_prefix}:/etc/httpd:' \
-e '/SERVER_CONFIG_FILE/s:${rel_sysconfdir}/::' \
-e '/AP_TYPES_CONFIG_FILE/s:${rel_sysconfdir}/::' \
-i configure &&
./configure --enable-authnz-fcgi \
--enable-layout=BLFS \
--enable-mods-shared="all cgi" \
--enable-mpms-shared=all \
--enable-suexec=shared \
--with-apr=/usr/bin/apr-1-config \
--with-apr-util=/usr/bin/apu-1-config \
--with-suexec-bin=/usr/lib/httpd/suexec \
--with-suexec-caller=apache \
--with-suexec-docroot=/srv/www \
--with-suexec-logfile=/var/log/httpd/suexec.log \
--with-suexec-uidmin=100 \
--with-suexec-userdir=public_html &&
make
This package does not come with a test suite.
Now, as the root user:
make install &&
mv -v /usr/sbin/suexec /usr/lib/httpd/suexec &&
chgrp apache /usr/lib/httpd/suexec &&
chmod 4754 /usr/lib/httpd/suexec &&
chown -v -R apache:apache /srv/www
Command Explanations
sed '/dir.*CFG_PREFIX/s@^@#@'...: Forces the
apxs utility to use absolute pathnames for
modules, when instructed to do so.
--enable-authnz-fcgi: Build FastCGI
authorizer-based authentication and authorization (mod_authnz_fcgi.so
fast CGI module).
--enable-mods-shared="all cgi": The modules should be
compiled and used as Dynamic Shared Objects (DSOs) so they can be included
and excluded from the server using the run-time configuration directives.
--enable-mpms-shared=all: This switch ensures that
all MPM (Multi Processing Modules) are built as Dynamic Shared Objects
(DSOs), so the user can choose which one to use at runtime.
--enable-suexec: This switch enables building of the
Apache suEXEC module which can be used to allow
users to run CGI and SSI scripts under user IDs different from the user ID
of the calling web server.
--with-suexec-*: These switches control suEXEC module
behavior, such as default document root, minimal UID that can be used to
run the script under the suEXEC. Please note that with minimal UID 100, you
can't run CGI or SSI scripts under suEXEC as the
apache user.
... /usr/lib/httpd/suexec: These commands put
suexec wrapper into proper location, since it
is not meant to be run directly. They also adjust proper
permissions of the binary, making it setgid
apache.
chown -R apache:apache /srv/www: By default, the
installation process installs files (documentation, error messages,
default icons, etc.) with the ownership of the user that extracted the
files from the tar file. If you want to change the ownership to another
user, you should do so at this point. The only requirement is that the
document directories need to be accessible by the httpd
process with (r-x) permissions and files need to be readable (r--) by the
apache user.
Configuring Apache
Config Files
/etc/httpd/httpd.conf and
/etc/httpd/extra/*
Configuration Information
See file:///usr/share/httpd/manual/configuring.html
for detailed instructions on customising your
Apache HTTP server configuration file.
There is no reason, at least for internet facing sites, not
to use SSL encryption. Setting up a secured website does not cost
anything except installing one additional small tool and a few
minutes of configuration work. Use this guideline at
https://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/Securing_a_website to create
world-wide accepted certificates and renew them on a regular basis.
Systemd Unit
If you want the Apache server to
start automatically when the system is booted, install the
httpd.service
unit included in the
blfs-systemd-units-20230816 package:
make install-httpd