Re: Apache2: httpd.conf or apache2.conf?

[Jared Hall <jrhall@gmail.com>]

Debian Users
>>The README file that came with Debian doesn't cover the difference
>>between the httpd.conf file and the apache2.conf file.  Is the
>>httpd.conf file basically obsolete?
> >
> >I haven't had time to look into it at depth, but I think the answer is
> >yes. I've got everything in apache2.conf file, friends said it should
> >be there, and independently at work, they've deleted httpd.conf
> >entirely. So, that's the safest bet, I think.

No, httpd.conf is not obsolete.  Anything you stick into it will still
operate as it did before (default configuration).  In fact if you take
it out there will probably be major problems, if not right away then
later on.  I don't really want to find out for sure on any of my
systems right now. I'll just let sleeping dog's lay, but I do know for
a fact that any changes you make to Debian's httpd.conf are just as
functional as they were before.  if you want to go back to the old way
of doing things I don't see why you couldn't. just keep the line in
apache2.conf which says "Include /etc/apache2/httpd.conf," and erase
everything else. then put your httpd.conf configuration into
httpd.conf.
In a way, I guess that this means httpd.conf is obsolete, since
apache2.conf only includes httpd.conf... but that's more a matter of
perspective.  httpd.conf needs to be there for apt to properly install
php5 (because it won't stick the "line LoadModule php5_module
/usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.so" into mods-enabled or
apache2.conf), therefore httpd.conf is not obsolete in my opinion.
It's seems to me that Debian wants httpd.conf to go away in favor of
several configuration files which are easier to manage, but that is
yet to take effect as a standard for all packages.  I'm sure were not
far from that.  I have to admit that it's nice to have sites-enabled
hold all my virtual hosts, so I don't have to do all that scrolling.

Jared

PS  I don't see why people who want more organization could have just
done all this on their own without all that fancy reprogramming Debian
did.  Perhaps these changes to httpd configuration actually make httpd
run more efficiently (less information being included at certain
times)? code consolidation = efficiency.