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Apache: The Definitive Guide
Apache is far and away the most widely used web server platform in the world. This versatile server runs more than half of the world's existing web sites. Apache is both free and rock-solid, running more than 21 million web sites ranging from huge e-commerce operations to corporate intranets and smaller hobby sites.With this new third edition of The Definitive Guide, web administrators new to Apache will come up to speed quickly, and experienced administrators will find the logically organized, concise reference sections indispensable, and system programmers interested in customizing their servers will rely on the chapters on the API and Apache modules.Updated to cover the changes in Apache's latest release, 2.0, as well as Apache 1.3, this useful guide discusses how to obtain, set up, secure, modify, and troubleshoot the Apache software on both Unix and Windows systems. Dozens of clearly written examples provide the answers to the real-world issues that Apache administrators face everyday. In addition to covering the installation and configuration of mod_perl and Tomcat, the book examines PHP, Cocoon, and other new technologies that are associated with the Apache web server. Additional coverage of security and the Apache 2.0 API make The Definitive Guide, Third Edition essential documentation for the world's most popular web server.
1504 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 29, 2017
I read this 15 year-old book to give me a structure for properly learning Apache. While the book shows its age in a number of ways, I'm pleased to say that it's still relevant enough to be used in 2017 (and beyond....!).
I've been using Apache for 20 years (I still faintly remember writing my first .htaccess file). In that time, I've accumulated a lot of scattered knowledge, but I've never felt entirely confident that I had whole and complete understanding of Apache.
I think this book does a fine job of giving you a good understanding of the core skill for running Apache: writing config files. I LOVE the fact that the authors have you start off with a blank httpd.conf file in a test directory near the beginning of the book and then build up from that. That's always been my favorite approach for learning new concepts and it was extremely refreshing.
The chapters get further into the weeds as you approach the end of the book. You may be interested in Perl and CGI or Java and Tomcat, but probably not both.
The API documentation at the end is pretty good and fairly interesting (for programmers), but it contains far too much reference information that would have been better left online where it could be kept up-to-date.
I've been using Apache for 20 years (I still faintly remember writing my first .htaccess file). In that time, I've accumulated a lot of scattered knowledge, but I've never felt entirely confident that I had whole and complete understanding of Apache.
I think this book does a fine job of giving you a good understanding of the core skill for running Apache: writing config files. I LOVE the fact that the authors have you start off with a blank httpd.conf file in a test directory near the beginning of the book and then build up from that. That's always been my favorite approach for learning new concepts and it was extremely refreshing.
The chapters get further into the weeds as you approach the end of the book. You may be interested in Perl and CGI or Java and Tomcat, but probably not both.
The API documentation at the end is pretty good and fairly interesting (for programmers), but it contains far too much reference information that would have been better left online where it could be kept up-to-date.
February 16, 2018
Slowly read until chap 11
September 5, 2012
A dated book that is nevertheless still useful and informative.
Written by authors with intimate knowledge of the subject--Ben Laurie helped write Apache 2.0 and was a director of the Apache Software Foundation--this book is most useful as a structured introduction to the Apache HTTP Server. The book starts out with introductory concepts on web servers, networking and how to compile (if desired) and install Apache, proceeds to discuss the workings and configuration of Apache in increasing detail including how to use various scripting languages with Apache, and concludes with a discussion of the Apache API and how to write Apache modules. This last part in particular, the documentation on the internals of Apache, is extremely detailed and comprehensive, on account both of the authors' commentary and of the included source code.
Of course, as the book was published in 2002 the modern reader (2012) is advised to also rely on the official up-to-date documentation. The book offers a good structure--a good progression of concepts--that can be built upon by consulting the up-to-date documentation.
Apache: The Definitive Guide, 3rd Ed. also includes many how-to's (easily replicated on the modern version of Apache) and a collection of websites built for various purposes, the latter through the book's accompanying source code, which can be found at http://shop.oreilly.com/product/97805.... These are extremely useful in learning by doing yourself.
The chapters on PHP, mod_jserv and Tomcat, XML and Cocoon can these days be safely skipped. The conscientious student will also take Chapter 16. CGI and Perl and Chapter 17. mod_perl with a large grain of salt; however, these last two still contain useful information and, just as importantly, useful links to other sources.
A good book that can be quite useful if paired with current official documentation.
Written by authors with intimate knowledge of the subject--Ben Laurie helped write Apache 2.0 and was a director of the Apache Software Foundation--this book is most useful as a structured introduction to the Apache HTTP Server. The book starts out with introductory concepts on web servers, networking and how to compile (if desired) and install Apache, proceeds to discuss the workings and configuration of Apache in increasing detail including how to use various scripting languages with Apache, and concludes with a discussion of the Apache API and how to write Apache modules. This last part in particular, the documentation on the internals of Apache, is extremely detailed and comprehensive, on account both of the authors' commentary and of the included source code.
Of course, as the book was published in 2002 the modern reader (2012) is advised to also rely on the official up-to-date documentation. The book offers a good structure--a good progression of concepts--that can be built upon by consulting the up-to-date documentation.
Apache: The Definitive Guide, 3rd Ed. also includes many how-to's (easily replicated on the modern version of Apache) and a collection of websites built for various purposes, the latter through the book's accompanying source code, which can be found at http://shop.oreilly.com/product/97805.... These are extremely useful in learning by doing yourself.
The chapters on PHP, mod_jserv and Tomcat, XML and Cocoon can these days be safely skipped. The conscientious student will also take Chapter 16. CGI and Perl and Chapter 17. mod_perl with a large grain of salt; however, these last two still contain useful information and, just as importantly, useful links to other sources.
A good book that can be quite useful if paired with current official documentation.
August 12, 2011
This, for the most part, is a useful book. I'm not sure that the later chapters and appendix, aimed at Apache module writers, is worth the space and, presumably, the extra euros on the price of the book: this kind of stuff is best left to on-line resources.
The book has lots of good technical stuff, but I'd have liked to have seen more practical advice about running a busy web server.
I also found an unevenness in what was assumed of the reader: a section might begin assuming almost nothing and would then end with some cryptic remarks, wholly unexplained.
The book has lots of good technical stuff, but I'd have liked to have seen more practical advice about running a busy web server.
I also found an unevenness in what was assumed of the reader: a section might begin assuming almost nothing and would then end with some cryptic remarks, wholly unexplained.
March 16, 2007
This book is great, and unfortunately, I didn't read it until more than 4 years of using Apache. This book incrementally explains the idiosyncrasies of Apache configuration and is far superior to reading the online Apache docs. That httpd.conf is a bear; get this book, and you'll make that conf file dance like a funky monkey.
October 21, 2010
Learning about server software when you're a newbie is not easy. This was my textbook when I took a class in server administration. This book does reasonably well in that area but is probably intended to be more of a reference. May be more appropriate for newbie-intermediate level of expertise.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews