Apache Essentials: Install, Configure, Maintain

ISBN-13: 9781484283233 / Angielski / Miękka / 2022 / 250 str.

Darren James Harkness

Opis

Beginning-Intermediate

Spis treści

1. Introduction: Revisiting Apache Essentials

    

   Goals

    

   •   Learn about Apache and get very brief history of its origins and use.

    

   •   Discover what you will learn from Apache and what you will be able to accomplish with it.

    

   •   Question: where to use Apache or another web server, and what the benefits/drawbacks of each are.

    

    

   Chapter 1: Installing Apache

    

   Goals:

    

   •   Feel confident installing Apache on Windows, Linux, and MacOS for a development environment.

   •   Create a running installation of Apache serving its Hello World static HTML file.

    

   Subtopics

    

   •   Instal Apache.

    

   •   Question: should to use something other than Apache?

    

   •   Manage dependencies (PHP, RewriteEngine, etc).

    

    

   Chapter 2: Configuration Essentials

    

   Goals

    

   •   Set up a basic Apache instance pointing to static HTML on http://localhost/.

    

   •   Develop an understanding of commonly used Apache directives.

    

   •   Learn .htaccess files and how/when to use them.

    

   Subtopics

    

   •   Structure of Apache configuration files.

    

   •   Commonly used configuration directives.

   
   

    

    

   •   The .htaccess file. Benefits & drawbacks of putting configuration options in .htaccess.

    

   •   Put it all together.

    

    

   Chapter 3: Scripting languages

    

   Goals:

    

   •   Learn how the web server and programming languages work together to create websites.

    

   •   Configure your website securely for PHP or NodeJS.

    

   •   Configure your localhost to load an index.php instead of the default Apache HTML file.

    

   Subtopics

    

   •   Overview.

    

   •   Commonly used scripting environments.

    

   •   PHP on Apache.

    

   •   NodeJS on Apache.

    

   •   Put it all together.

    

   Chapter 4: setting up virtual hosts for development

    

   Goals

    

   •   Learn about Apache virtual hosts and how to configure them.

    

   •   Set up a local dev domain — using local DNS settings or a tool such as ngrok.

    

   •   Create two development environments configured and accessible through the browser; one for PHP and another for NodeJS.

   Subtopics

    

   •   Overview of virtual hosts.

    

   •   Set up a local dev domain.

    

   •   Configure Apache for multiple virtual hosts.

    

   •   Configure Apache for modern PHP and Node frameworks (example of setting up a NodeJS application).

   
   
    

    

   Chapter 5: Securing your setup

    

   Goals

    

   •   Understand the importance of using HTTPS by default.

    

   •   Recognize what SSL certificates are and how they work to secure communication between the browser and the server.

   •   Install an SSL certificate on their local Apache setup.

    

   Subtopics

    

   •   How HTTPS works to secure data and why this is important.

    

   •   Get a certificate for your development environment.

    

   •   Put it all together.

    

    

   Chapter 6: Using log files to troubleshoot your code

    

   Goals

    

   •   Learn about Log files and what information they provide.

    

   •   Troubleshoot code problems via Apache’ s log files.

    

   Subtopics

    

   •   About Apache’s log files.

    

   •   Configure Apache log files.

    

   •   Common troubleshooting patterns for PHP and NodeJS.

    

   •   A troubleshooting story (leads reader through analyzing and identifying an issue in a piece of faulty PHP code).

   Chapter 7: Sample Apache Configurations

    

   Goals

    

   •   Use one the 4-5 example Apache configurations in your own Apache configurations.

    

   Subsections

    

   •   Basic configuration for PHP.

   
   

    

    

   •   Basic configuration for NodeJS.

    

   •   Protecting a directory / domain.

    

   •   Virtual Host configuration.

    

   •   Configuring for Rewritten URLs (URL redirecting).

    

   Afterword

    

   Goals

    

   •   Revisit main concepts from book. Looking forward to next steps.

O autorze

Like most of the world, Darren James Harkness started his coding career with “Hello world!” on a computer he bought himself at the local office supply store. Originally registered as a computer science major, he quickly learned there might be a different way to participate in technology better suited to his skill set than hard coding. From that point on Darren turned to writing for the web, writing about the web, and managing smart people who do the same. He has never looked back. 

Darren lives in the lower mainland of British Columbia where he still spends too much time online, much to the chagrin of his partner, son, cat, and scruffy dog.

Blurb

Take a friendly, non-technical approach to installing, configuring, and maintaining a web server for development and testing on Mac OS, Linux, and Windows. This new edition uses straightforward language to demystify the mechanics of the web, leading the reader through a complex topic via simple, iterative steps. The book reflects current, relevant Apache configurations and web application frameworks, and prepares the reader for working in professional web development environments.

You'll begin by reviewing a brief history of Apache that focuses on the necessary foundation to understand what these web servers are and why they are used. You'll then install a basic Apache setup on your operating system that loads a static HTML file for display in a browser. Next you'll work through progressively more detailed configurations towards a modern, secure application development environment for the two most commonly implemented development frameworks: a PHP-based framework such as Laravel or a NodeJS application.

In the end, Apache Essentials, second edition will show novice web developers and UX professionals how to quickly and confidently build and test their website changes safely and securely. 

You will:

• Install and configure Apache to support your development
• Support common development frameworks using specific configuration guides 
• Set up a secure web server for testing
• Use logs for troubleshooting and why that’s important