Apache on FreeBSD

[TheOmegaCode]

I am actually excited about work! I work in a county office of education, mostly just fixing old skanky computers that schools send in for repairs. Today, however, a boss of mine came in and asked me to setup a linux box with Apache on it. I run a FreeBSD box for a workstation, and at home, and have experience with apache on FreeBSD, but it's very limited. I have NEVER been able to successfully install php, and I can't stand the way Apache is installed through the ports collection. So, I usually compile apache from 'scratch.'
Download the tar file, ./configure, make, make install, cd ../apache2/bin, ./apachectl start...
Good to go, for simple html. The problem is that this is a pilot project, if everyone is satisfied with the performance of this web server, they are going to want me to drive out to a bunch of different schools, installing web servers... I know that they are going to want front page extentions, some schools php, etc, etc... I, of course, am going to be reading ALOT over the next two months about Apache, so I just wanted anyone to post their experiences, quirks, finds, etc, on/with apache and/or FreeBSD.

BTW, some one at work is very pro-Microsoft. So when they heard about this, they were all for setting up little win boxes w/ IIS. Also, if you are so kind help me come up with reasons that Apache on FreeBSD is better... These boxes need to be up as LONG as possible w/ virtually no configuration from the school. I figure just set them up with ftp access to the Apache root, and they can upload whatever they need.

**Things I can think of...
Stability
Not as likely to get a virus
Free

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< reasons that Apache on FreeBSD is better... >>



nimda
code red
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24795.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/24743.html



<< These boxes need to be up as LONG as possible w/ virtually no configuration from the school. >>



http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/today/top.avg.html

 

[cleverhandle]

Nice opportunity. Hope it works out, despite the fact that school administrators are usually completely clueless with regards to tech. Here's another link that might help you convince people to stick with Apache over IIS.

 

[TheOmegaCode]

Nice pages, I just forwarded them to my boss


<< Hope it works out, despite the fact that school administrators are usually completely clueless with regards to tech. >>


That's why we want a box that will stand on its own two feet for a long, long time. If say, Apache will run their web site for months on end w/out ever having to be restarted, and when it is restarted they just have to do that (restart it) than school Administrators don't have to worry about a thing. All they know is what we, the County Office of Education, tell them to know... I forgot to mention these are little tiny schools, out in the Boondocks... We are hoping that all we have to do, is take a machine to their school, turn in on, and essentially have a rock solid web server for them.

Does anyone here who uses FreeBSD and Apache install apache through the ports collection? I have, but I don't like the way it moves the files around. I've evne had it so that ./apachectl wouldn't work (on an install through the ports collection)

 

[freebsddude]

Many claim that Apache + FreeBSD is one of the fastest combos around.

Another way to approach this is to make it a cost issue, Apache + FreeBSD is free
and very scalable. I configured a server for a gift vendor during mother's day
peak traffic when some of their IIS servers went down.

One 300+ MHZ FreeBSD server was handling the traffic of about a half a dozen IIS servers
at one point. So, if you effectively tell them that you would do better with fewer servers and
hardware, they'll prolly buy it from a cost perspective.

Luckily, I have had very good results with Apache (modssl) with mod_php4, mysql on FreeBSD
using the ports collection. All it took was a make, make install (like you said) for every
application. How exactly did you install stuff and what problems did you encounter ?
More details would probably help us help you better

You have to get the latest ports collection using cvsup, check out these instructions.

 

[Xuttah]

This is venturing off the original question, so feel free to ignore if you like...

Why do the web servers have to be physically located at the schools? Is there any type of network/WAN between the schools and your office? Are these servers being used only locally, not publicly (Internet)? If people are only uploading/downloading content to it, why couldn't it sit at your location with remote access from each school?

I guess I'm just trying to suggest an alternative to having to deal with non-technical people calling on the phone about a blinking light, and how it must mean things are bad.

 

[TheOmegaCode]

This has already been proposed, but no do-able. Alot of these schools just have isdn like access to the net. They won't be able to upload for crap, but we figure they can use it as a video streaming server on their intranet. Besides, there sites won't get hit much from the outside world, they are wee tiny schools...