Apache Cheat Sheet

Installing the Apache HTTP Server on a Windows Server

The Apache HTTP server is always useful to have in a development environment, whether supporting Subversion or many other useful tools. Apache is distributed with and without the OpenSSL package bundled in. However, it is recommended that OpenSSL be installed separately so that it can be upgraded and otherwise maintained separately from Apache.

Environment

Prerequisite Information

Before installing Apache, gather the following information:

    1. Network Domain: example.com

    2. Server Name: winsrv.example.com

    3. Administrator’s Email Address: admin@example.com

    4. Port Number: 81

Installation

    1. Download the installer program and then run it.

    2. At the welcome screen, click the Next button.

    3. Accept the license terms, then click the Next button.

    4. In the Read This First window, click the Next button.

    5. In the Server Information window, enter the information collected above. Apache can be installed system-wide (as a service) or for the installing user only. Most likely, you will want to install Apache as a service. Click the Next button once you have entered the server particulars. Note: If you are using port 80 for another service (maybe for the IIS Web server) go ahead and choose the port 80 system-wide option and change the port being used once the installation completes.

    6. In the Setup Type select the Custom option, then click the Next button.

    7. In the Custom Setup window, select the components you wish to install (the defaults are probably fine), change the installation location if you want, then click the Next button.

    8. Click the Install button.

Configuration

    1. The Apache configuration file is located in a directory similar to this:

      1. C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf

    2. Open the httpd.conf file with a text editor. Read through the file. You might want to make changes to some of the entries. For example, if you do not want to use port 80 for the Apache server then find the line that begins with Listen and change the port number from 80 to the port number you wish to use.

    3. If you modified the file, save it and start Apache (Start → All Programs → Apache HTTP Server → Control Apache Server → Start).

    4. Browse to the default page to make sure the server is working, for example:

      1. http://winsrv.example.com:81

    1. The information displayed by this page can be changed by editing the index.html file in the directory similar to this:

      1. C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs

Next Steps

Read through the Apache documentation.

The Apache HTTP Server folder on the Start menu has some handy shortcuts for operating the server:

    • Monitor Apache Servers will place an icon in the system tray.

    • There are Start, Stop, and Restart commands in the Control Apache Server folder.

    • These three commands are also available by left-clicking the Apache icon in the system tray.

    • You can quickly get to the Apache Service Monitor by right-clicking the Apache icon in the system tray.

Now that you have Apache installed and configured, you might want to install some software that utilizes this Web server. For example:

CollabNet’s Subversion Server 1.5.5.