[Mageia-dev] changing apache configuration handling

Wed Sep 14 10:06:56 CEST 2011

Hello list.
+
+Our current default apache module configuration files all starts with:
+<IfDefine HAVE_FOOBAR>
+loadModule FooBar
+</IfDefine>
+
+This allow to be smart, and eventually run apache without installed 
+modules, which seems a cool idea. However, it also requires to 
+explicitely launch apache with -DHAVE_FOOBAR to be able to use the given 
+module, which seems however far less compliant with the general 'install 
+and run' general idea (and eventually too much technical for some part 
+of the target population). In order to mitigate this last point, our 
+current sysinit init script automatically compute the list of arguments 
+from the list of files present on the system, making it transparent for 
+the end user. In the same time, it seems also to defeat the original 
+purpose, as to my knowledge, you can't prevent it to automatically add 
+-DHAVE_FOOBAR to httpd command line...
+
+Now, with systemd, the general idea is to reduce additional ad-hoc 
+behaviour found in init scripts, to focus on just running the services. 
+As a consequence, there is no 'find everything installed to pass option 
+to override conditional loading' in place. And I'm relunctant to 
+reintroduce something whose sole purpose seems to workaround a 
+self-imposed constraint.
+
+So, we have the following choice:
+- change current behaviour, by keeping conditionals in configuration 
+file. To use php, you have to install mod_php, and add -DHAVE_PHP5 in 
+/etc/sysconfig/httpd. This means additional configuration is required, 
+but also possibility to temporary disable without uninstalling.
+
+- keep current behaviour, by removing conditionals in configuration 
+file. This means no additional configuration needed, but also than 
+installing implies usage.
+
+What's the general opinion there ?
+-- 
+BOFH excuse #367:
+
+Webmasters kidnapped by evil cult.
+