Installing Apache HTTP Server 1.3.12

You can install Apache HTTP Server from files downloaded from the Apache Software Foundation Web site, http://www.apache.org. Apache HTTP Server is available in a source code or binary distribution. The steps below cover how to install compiled Apache HTTP Server binaries and then verify that the installed product runs properly.

It is recommended that you install Apache HTTP Server before installing WebSphere Application Server. The WebSphere Application Server installation process changes a Web server's configuration, so that the Web server directs certain requests (such as servlet requests) to WebSphere Application Server. If the Web server is not installed before WebSphere Application Server, WebSphere Application Server may function incorrectly.

Installing Apache HTTP Server 1.3.12 from downloaded files

Perform the following steps to install Apache HTTP Server 1.3.12 from a downloaded .tar.gz file:

  1. Ensure that you are logged into the host machine with superuser (root) privileges.
  2. Uncompress the .tar.gz file you downloaded by using the gunzip utility, as follows:
    # gunzip <file_name>.tar.gz
  3. Untar the uncompressed .tar file to extract the Apache HTTP Server files, as follows:
    # tar -xvf <file_name>.tar
  4. Ensure that you are in the directory containing the uncompressed and untarred Apache HTTP Server files.
  5. Install the Apache HTTP Server binaries by executing the installation script install-bindist.sh, as follows:
    # ./install-bindist.sh

    The Apache HTTP Server is installed in the /usr/local/apache directory, by default. If you want to install the server in a different directory, enter the full pathname of that directory as an option to the install-bindist.sh installation script.

  6. To change the default configuration of the Apache HTTP Server, edit the httpd.conf, srm.conf, and access.conf files as necessary. For more information about editing these files and using Apache HTTP Server runtime configuration directives, go to the Apache Software Foundation Web site http://www.apache.org/docs/mod/directives.html.

Testing installation of Apache HTTP Server 1.3.12

Perform the following steps to verify that the Apache HTTP Server is installed correctly:

  1. Start the server by entering the following command: # /usr/local/apache/httpd

    The httpd command attempts to locate the httpd.conf file in the default directory, /usr/local/apache. If the httpd.conf file is located in a different directory, you can specify the full pathname of the httpd.conf file by using the -f option.

  2. Open a Web browser and enter the name of the host machine as the URL (http://<host_machine_name>). If you see a Web site that contains links to the Apache Software Foundation Web site and the Powered by Apache logo, the Apache HTTP Server is running properly. Note that you possibly need to adjust the server's configuration for it to run optimally on your machine. See the Apache HTTP Server documentation at http://www.apache.org/docs for more information.