mod_perl Not compatible???

[powerhouse]

Ok, I just found out that Cpanel and mod_perl will more than likely have issues if installed on the same server.

Can someone tell me if they have mod_perl installed on a box with Cpanel on it?

My customer wants mod_perl installed, but if they are going to have problems because cpanel is installed, I might have to move them to an alabanza server ( That would really suck.

But I don't want to lose they're business.

I'd really appreciate it if someone would tell me if they are successfully using Cpanel AND mod_perl on the same machine.

Thanks!

 

[Website Rob]

I've been trying to figure this one out myself.

I do have mod_perl installed (done when box was setup) - shows up in a &locate& and listed in &show installed modules& in Cpanel. But, Client using a script that can use mod_perl (doesn't require it though) does not do use it or cannot find it, not sure which.

I even tried to install it through Shell and was told it's already installed. Server is not adversely affected, but I think that's because even though installed, it is not running - or accessable.

I've thought of running it as a DSO, but not sure if I have to first uninstall then reinstall or if it does the install itself. I would like to be able to use it though.

 

[powerhouse]

Ok, I heard from Cpanel, and they said that it IS compatible. no issues.

That in fact it is REQUIRED to run Apache::ASP

So, If I were you, I'd look at your httpd.conf file and see if these two lines are there AND uncommented:

LoadModule perl_module libexec/libperl.so
and
AddModule mod_perl.c

They will not be together, so if you see one, then don't assume the other is not there because it's not by it.

If those are installed, then it is installed, now you have to configure it.

for information on that, just go read up on it:
http://perl.apache.org/docs/1.0/guide/index.html

Hope that helps you!

 

[shaun]

the cpanel asp pluggin installs mod_perl. Apache/Mod_Perl will run but dont expect it to be stable... You'll probably see alot of sig error's thru out the logs...

 

[powerhouse]

Why do you think that is?

I have not noticed any stability problems with it.

I'm thinking about using a proxy server with it.

Have one box setup just with apache and mod_perl on it,
it will have a huge amount of memory and cpu speed,
plus a SCSI HD. then have a cpanel machine setup that is the main box, and it will then proxy all the mod_perl stuff from the other machine, and the cpanel box will handle all the static stuff, html, images and so forth.

Expensive way to do it, but it might make all the sites that use it 10X faster.

What do you think about having mod_perl on a cpanel machine? Ye or Ne?

 

[shaun]

I've just never had any luck with it being stable...

Nick had nothing good to say about it either. It will work dont get me wrong...

 

[Djelibeybi]

I have a CPanel server with both mod_gzip and mod_perl running (its one of shaun's dedicated boxes too). Its NOT stable and I have to restart Apache every 6 hours to prevent a server crash. However, I require both mod_gzip and mod_perl for various reasons, so the work-around is also required.

I'm currently getting a custom version of Apache built with both mod_gzip and mod_perl built statically, to see if that helps or even just works.

 

[powerhouse]

Can you please keep us informed as to how the stability is improved?

 

[Website Rob]

Those that are running mod_perl, is it statically linked or running as a DSO and how stable is it? Anyone know which method Nick was referring to?

A DSO is where you see what powerhouse mentioned:

LoadModule perl_module libexec/libperl.so
and
AddModule mod_perl.c

Order they are listed in is important though!

I have confirmed that I have mod_perl statically linked and it is not running -- and I don't know how to get it to run when statically linked.

You can tell if mod_perl is &loaded/running&, as opposed to just installed, by two ways:

Run an Environment script

1. Look at GATEWAY_INTERFACE.
- It will show: CGI/1.1 - mod_perl is not running
- It will show: mod_perl/1.1 - mod_perl is running

2. It will be listed in SERVER_SOFTWARE

Thoughts, feedback?

 

[Djelibeybi]

I'm running both mod_perl and mod_gzip as DSOs and yes, load order is very important. I'm busy working on a custom version of Apache with them compiled statically to see if that results in a more stable solution.

Currently, with both running as DSOs, I have to hard restart Apache every six hours or runaway HTTPD processes will consume all server RAM and eventually crash the server.

 

[Website Rob]

I've heard that mod_gzip does not work well with Cpanel and notice those that are having problems with mod_perl have it also. Anyone running mod_perl &without& mod_gzip?

Djelibeybi, can I ask you to post your DSO list for us? As I would like to try running mod_perl as a DSO -- without mod_gzip -- I would need to know the order. Also, any idea if the order of your DSO's is correct? Not to slight your knowledge, but it seems that knowing the correct DSO order is up there with being a Rocket Scientist or something.

 

[powerhouse]

Login into shell as root, and run these commands:

wget http://layer1.cpanel.net/apache-asp.sea
after that completes run this command:
sh apache-asp.sea

Then restart apache, this way:
/etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd restart

If you have any SSL Certs installed, you might want to do it this way:

/etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd stop
Then
/etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd startssl

I am not sure if
/etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd restart
will start openssl or not.

That will install Apache::ASP, which will install mod_perl
as it is required by Apache::ASP
it will automatically put the required lines in the httpd.conf file for the mod_perl

HTH,
Richard

 

[Website Rob]

Appreciate the info, Richard, but do not see where Apache::ASP comes in, for installing mod_perl. It was my understanding that ASP anything, does not work well with Linux.

 

[powerhouse]

Actually, Cpanel Support told me to install Apache::ASP, that it REQUIRES mod_perl and would build it.

It worked. so far, I have had 0 problems with the server I installed it on.

And as far as &anyting ASP not working well with linux, that is not true either. ChiliSOFT ASP is a very good program, and is pretty stable too. Apache::ASP is.. in the words of Darren at Cpanel

Apache::ASP &gives users some elementary ASP support, though it's not a drop in replacement for MS ASP or even Chilisoft&

Just thought I'd add that.
And I did install it, and have had ZERO server affects yet. I have not restarted the server yet, and I installed it about 4 or 5 days ago, the server load is staying quite low too.

Richard.

 

[Website Rob]

Ok, when I went to install Apache:ASP through

WHM & Software & Install a Perl Module, inserted Apache:ASP and these are the options I was presented with:

Modules matching your query (click to install)
Apache::ASP
Apache::ASP::Application
Apache::ASP::CGI
Apache::ASP::CGI::Table
Apache::ASP::CGI::Test
Apache::ASP::Collection
Apache::ASP::CollectionItem
Apache::ASP::Date
Apache::ASP::GlobalASA
Apache::ASP::Lang::PerlScript
Apache::ASP::Lite
Apache::ASP::Load
Apache::ASP::Request
Apache::ASP::Response
Apache::ASP::STDERR
Apache::ASP::Server
Apache::ASP::Session
Apache::ASP::State

I chose Apache:ASP as that would then install them all. I wondered though, since &CGI& was presented but &mod_perl& was not shown any anywhere, if indeed, it would be installed. It was not.

[ Edit: I just noticed that although Apache::ASP::Lite was listed, it was not installed. If it makes any difference.

An attempt to install just that modual gave me:

The module Apache::ASP::Lite isn't available on CPAN.

Either the module has not yet been uploaded to CPAN, or it is
temporary unavailable. Please contact the author to find out
more about the status. Try 'i Apache::ASP::Lite'. ]

So then I thought I would try Plan B, using the &Install a RPM& option instead. Choosing &mod_perl& from the drop-down list I was then presented with this msg.:

error: failed dependencies:
webserver is needed by mod_perl-1.26-5
Retrieving http://updates.cpanel.net//linux/distros/redhat/7.3/en/os/i386/RedHat/RPMS/mod_perl-1.26-5.i386.rpm
Install Complete

And again, &mod_perl& is not installed. I also did a Server Reboot.

Were they right when they said installing &mod_perl& is right up there with Rocket Science?

Can anyone help me out here? Why is others can have &mod_perl& installed and yet, I seem to have so many problems. I thing I already mentioned I tried to install it manually but that too, failed -- msg. said already installed.

 

[powerhouse]

in this same thread earlier I showed how to force it by installing the Apache::ASP.

for that way, you have to use Shell access as root.

Richard.

 

[Website Rob]

That is true. Is it also true then, that installing &mod_perl& and/or Apache:ASP in particular, cannot be done through WHM? Or, is it that it should not be done through WHM?

 

[powerhouse]

I personally would not install them using the RPM installer, I've heard some really bad things about them. I've tried to install mod_perl on a different box using the RPM Installer, and it did not work, I installed a few other things on that same server using the RPM Installer, and none of them worked.

Just my expierience with it. Maybe others have had success.

Richard.

 

[Website Rob]

That didn't go so well Richard.

Did the install the way you described (no SSL to worry about) and this is what happened in httpd.conf:

LoadModule perl_module libexec/libperl.so

with

AddModule mod_perl.c

being the last entry for DSO's.

Apache would not start and this error showed up:

# /usr/local/apache/bin/httpd -t
Syntax OK
[Sat Feb 1 22:31:03 2003] [error] Cannot remove module mod_perl.c: not found in module list

So I editted the line:

from: LoadModule perl_module libexec/libperl.so
to LoadModule perl_module libexec/mod_perl.so

Which still did not work. Any idea what went wrong or what the order is supposed to be?

This was the order:

# LoadModule foo_module libexec/mod_foo.so
LoadModule rewrite_module libexec/mod_rewrite.so
LoadModule php4_module libexec/libphp4.so
LoadModule bwlimited_module libexec/mod_bwlimited.so
LoadModule bytes_log_module libexec/mod_log_bytes.so
LoadModule perl_module libexec/mod_perl.so

Last 5 entries for module list:

AddModule mod_frontpage.c
AddModule mod_php4.c
AddModule mod_bwlimited.c
AddModule mod_log_bytes.c
AddModule mod_perl.c

 

[powerhouse]

Here is how ours is ordered:


AddModule mod_frontpage.c
AddModule mod_php4.c
AddModule mod_bwlimited.c
AddModule mod_log_bytes.c
AddModule mod_perl.c

Above the 5th line about I'd say 32 lines up are these:

LoadModule rewrite_module libexec/mod_rewrite.so
LoadModule php4_module libexec/libphp4.so
LoadModule bwlimited_module libexec/mod_bwlimited.so
LoadModule bytes_log_module libexec/mod_log_bytes.so
LoadModule perl_module libexec/libperl.so

If you have a problem with Apache starting comment those two lines out.

Then try.
email [email protected] maybe Darren will help you, like he
has me. He's been pretty good!!

HTH,
Richard.