Apache :: ASP :: INSTALL

Web applications with Apache + mod_perl
| INTRO
% | INSTALL
| CONFIG
| SYNTAX
| EVENTS
| OBJECTS
| SSI
| SESSIONS
| XML/XSLT
| CGI
| PERLSCRIPT
| FAQ
| TUNING
| CREDITS
| SUPPORT
| SITES USING
| RESOURCES
| TODO
| CHANGES
| LICENSE
| EXAMPLES

INSTALL

You may download the latest Apache::ASP from your nearest CPAN, and also:

      http://cpan.org/modules/by-module/Apache/
      ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/modules/by-module/Apache/

As a perl user, you should make yourself familiar with the CPAN.pm module, and how it may be used to install Apache::ASP, and other related modules. The easiest way to install Apache::ASP for the first time from perl is to fire up the CPAN shell like:

     shell prompt> perl -MCPAN -e shell
     ...
     cpan> install Bundle::Apache::ASP

Installing the Apache::ASP bundle will automatically install all the modules Apache::ASP is dependent on as well as Apache::ASP itself.

Perl Module Install | Linux Distributions
Win32 Install | Build Apache
Need Help | Quick Start

Perl Module Install

Once you have downloaded it, Apache::ASP installs easily using the make or nmake commands as shown below. Otherwise, just copy ASP.pm to $PERLLIB/site/Apache

      > perl Makefile.PL
      > make
      > make test
      > make install

      * use nmake for win32

Please note that you must first have the Apache Web Server & mod_perl installed before using this module in a web server environment. The offline mode for building static html at ./cgi/asp may be used with just perl.

Win32 Install

If you are on a Win32 platform, like WinNT or Windows 2000, you can download the win32 binaries linked to from:

      http://perl.apache.org/distributions.html

Randy Kobes has graciously provided these, which include compiled versions perl, mod_perl, apache, mod_ssl, as well as all the modules required by Apache::ASP and Apache::ASP itself. In order to upgrade the latest Apache::ASP without a compiler, just download the latest Apache::ASP version and replace the ASP.pm file in your perl libraries with the one from the distribution. Apache::ASP is written in pure perl, so there is no need to compile it for installation.

Need Help

Often, installing the mod_perl part of the Apache server can be the hardest part. If this is the case for you, check out the FAQ and SUPPORT sections for further help, as well as the "Build Apache" notes in this section.

Please also see the mod_perl guide at http://perl.apache.org/guide which one ought to give a good read before undertaking a mod_perl project.

Linux Distributions

If you have a linux distribution, like a RedHat Linux server, with an RPM style Apache + mod_perl, seriously consider building a static version of the httpd server yourself, not DSO. DSO is marked as experimental for mod_perl, and often does not work, resulting in "no request object" error messages, and other oddities, and are terrible to debug, because of the strange kinds of things that can go wrong.

Build Apache

For a quick build of apache, there is a script in the distribution at ./make_httpd/build_httpds.sh that can compile a statically linked Apache with mod_ssl and mod_perl. Just drop the sources into the make_httpd directory, configure the environments as appropriate, and execute the script like this:

     make_httpd> ./build_httpds.sh

You might also find helpful a couple items:

      Stas's mod_perl guide install section

      Apache Toolbox

People have been using Apache Toolbox to automate their complex builds with great success.

Quick Start

Once you have successfully built the Apache Web Server with mod_perl, copy the ./site/eg/ directory from the Apache::ASP installation to your Apache document tree and try it out! You must put "AllowOverride All" in your httpd.conf <Directory> config section to let the .htaccess file in the ./site/eg installation directory do its work. If you want a starter config file for Apache::ASP, just look at the .htaccess file in the ./site/eg/ directory.

So, you might add this to your Apache httpd.conf file just to get the scripts in ./site/eg working:

      <Directory />
        Options FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
      </Directory>

This is not a good production config, because it is insecure with the FollowSymLinks, and tells Apache to look for .htaccess files all the way up to / which is bad for performance, but it should be handy for getting started with development.

You will know that Apache::ASP is working normally if you can run the scripts in ./site/eg/ without any errors. Common problems can be found in the FAQ section.
Copyright © 1998-2001, Joshua Chamas, Chamas Enterprises Inc.