The ECN No Name Newsletter is no longer being published. This is an archived issue.

Apache Arriving At The ECN

Kyler Laird
http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/ECN/FAQ/internet/web_authoring_and_cgi/apache

The primary protocol currently used on the World Wide Web is HTTP. ECN machines which are running HTTP servers currently run NCSA HTTPd 1.4.2+. We are now in the process of converting to Apache 1.1.1. Apache was originally a version of NCSA HTTPd which had been patched substantially. (Hence, it was called "a patchy HTTPd," then just "Apache.") It has now been rewritten and offers a much more solid base of free code than does NCSA HTTPd.

While we are trying to make this transition painless, there will surely be some incompatibilities. Fortunately, there are many advantages to using Apache. For more information, please see the page at http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/ECN/FAQ/internet/web_authoring_and_cgi/apache.

"404 Not Found" is gone

Apache will do its best to find the intended target using case-insensitive searches. If the target cannot be found, the user will be redirected to the closest directory to match the request.

security is tighter

CGI programs can now communicate with the server to verify that they have been called appropriately. This will allow CGI programs to more safely run with the identities of their authors (instead of user "www").

HTML "wrapping" is automatic

Using the .htaccess file, users can specify include files to be used to "wrap" their HTML (by prepending and appending to the file). This will allow users to create and maintain complex, consistent pages more easily.

imagemaps are native

The server now understands imagemap files. Instead of calling "/cgi-bin/imagemap" along with the full path to a map file, a map file can simply be called just like any other resource. If an imagemap is called without coordinates, an HTML list of options is generated. (This is handy for people who don't have graphics turned on.)

PH authentication and information retrieval is integrated

Instead of maintaining group and password files, users can now use PUCC's PH database to authenticate users and to get basic information about them. Access to a directory via HTTPd can be restricted based on any PH field, such as "department" and "title." entity locations are host-independent A reference to any entity (such as "/ABE" or "/ME") on any ECN machine will transparently direct the caller to the appropriate machine.

extensions are no longer necessary

It is no longer necessary (or desirable) to use file extensions in URLs. If multiple files exist with the same name, but different extensions (.gif/.jpeg/.png, for example), Apache will decide which one should be used for the situation.

inline T_EX is supported

T_EX source code can be maintained within HTML documents. Currently, the T_EX elements are rendered as automatically-generated GIF images.

HTML