Does cpanel and/or WHM run under Apache 2.0, php 4.3.9, and mod_perl 2.0?

[moribund]

My Dedicated webhosting provider told me that I can tell them what versions of programs they will install for me. So I asked them to install Apache 2.0, php4.3.9, and mod_perl 2.0 in addition to RedHat Enterprise Linux 3.0 and Cpanel. They told me that they can't because cpanel doesn't support those versions of Apache, php, and mod_perl. This freaked me out because I run several linux servers in my bedroom and I have not noticed any big changes in that software recently.

So my question is does cpanel/WHM have any version dependencies on any software (specifically Apache2.0, php4.3.9, and mod_perl 2.0)? Or is my webhost just lazy and using old images to save money? By the way, I chose RedHat Enterprise Linux 3.0 as the operating system. Also, if anyone has information on any older versions of cpanel that may have such version dependencies that would be appreciated.

Thanks,
moribund

[sawbuck]

AFAIK Apache 2 is yet to be supported/enabled in WHM/cPanel.

[challii]

Apache 2 is in Beta testing check out http://layer1.cpanel.net

[dgbaker]

Apache 2 is in Beta testing check out http://layer1.cpanel.net

That package is basically useless as it has not been updated since posted. The last comment from cPanel staff, was no plans until php is stable with it. Search for apache and cPanelBilly posts.

[moribund]

Thanks for the help. I hope mod_perl 2 isn't being considered as much as php is, because they didn't even release it yet as mod_perl 2. It's still mod_perl 1.99_17 or something.

[anup123]

if mod_perl is being considered, best option would be to have:

default cpanel httpd (front-end)
proxied mod_perl httpd (1.3.x + mod_perl 1.29) running in a different port and that port shut off from direct web access ... ie accessible only by/through the default httpd.

Advantages:
(1) better utilization of server resources (you wouldn't have a single fat httpd serving images and static content too)
(2) Lesser Admin headaches of recompiling mod_perl with every apache upgrades (security) as you could leave the proxied mod_perl httpd (statically built in mod_perl did not work so i use as DSO)

I am running 1.3.33 (default cPanel install) with mod_proxy and proxied 1.3.31 mod_perl httpd without any problems.

Anup

[moribund]

I should have read this post earlier. anup123, this is exactly what I want to do. But I can't figure out how to actually build mod_proxy into the cPanel apache. I have tried the easy way, which is building apache in the normal "non-cPanel" way, and then copying over the modproxy.so (It might have been named libproxy.so; I forget) to the /usr/local/apache/libexec directory, and then add a LoadModule directive to httpd.conf. This didn't work at all. httpd died and said something like (not an actual quote) "must compile mod_proxy with -EAPI" So I rebuilt apache with the CFLAGS environment variable set to -EAPI. I retried, and it didn't work either. Furthermore, the apache I built was retarded; it would start and seemed to work, but it didn't work right. error_log had a ton of Segmentation Fault error messages. And I knew that wasn't right, so I rebuilt apache without any mod_proxy stuff, and it has worked fine since.

I have checked in whm (software -> upgrade apache), and the program /scripts/easyapache, but so far have not found anything at all related to adding mod_proxy to cPanel to allow for reverse proxies (or allowing for any customization of what apache modules you install beyond those cPanel offers you). I have manually unarchived the file buildapache.sea (available from http://layer1.cpanel.net/buildapache.sea) to *try* and figure out how whm/cPanel/easyapache (I'll just call them all cPanel from now on) build apache. I have found some interesting files, but still nothing easier then figuring out how cPanel builds it and then modifying it to add mod_proxy to the ./configure command that cPanel executes to configure the apache build process.

So, is there some much much much easier way to build a cPanel apache with mod_proxy? Or , how did you (anup123) do it? And if there is no easy way, could you please help me with figuring out which files I need to edit?. I'm familiar but no expert with linux, bash, and perl so feel free to get technical if you want.

Below is some info about my cPanel install.
whm version: WHM 9.9.9
cPanel version: cPanel 9.9.9-S15
apache version: 1.3.33
Operating System: RedHat Enterprise 3 i686 - WHM X v3.1.0
Web Host: The Planet (theplanet.com)

Thanks,
moribund

[anup123]

Hi moribund

Build cpanel apache with whatever (except mod_gzip and mod_perl).
Then there is proxy directory there in the cPanel apache 1.3.33 downloaded. Use apxs to compile mod_proxy in your cPanel httpd (i call it front-end httpd) for all discussion purpose.

Handcompile the second httpd (httpd-perl). You could do it with the latest 1.3.x (i never really upgraded after i built backend httpd-perl). Again compile mod_perl as DSO (using apxs) into back-end httpd.

That's it wrt compiling and having two httpd (front-end and heavyweight backend httpd). Please note that mod_gzip and mod_proxy do not marry well as mod_gzip is broken. So you would need to patch mod_gzip in case you would want both to be there in front-end httpd

using -c -i -a switch while building modues as DSO automatically takes care of any changes to httpd conf files.

There is this other thread here on proxied mod_perl:

http://forums.cpanel.net/showthread.php?t=29327

Hope this helps. Hope you are not planning mod_perl in shared envioronment.

Anup