Where are default Apache docs served from?

laredotornado · 02-27-2012, 10:42 AM

Hi,

I'm using Mac OSX Lion and wondering how to get my default installation of Apache working. I started the web server fine from a terminal using

Code:

davea$ sudo apachectl start

However, I consistently get 404s when trying to visit http://localhost/, even though I have an index.html file located in /Library/WebServer/Documents . In my /private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf file, I have

Code:

<IfDefine !MACOSXSERVER>
<IfDefine WEBSHARING_ON>
#
# DocumentRoot: The directory out of which you will serve your
# documents. By default, all requests are taken from this directory, but
# symbolic links and aliases may be used to point to other locations.
#
DocumentRoot "/Library/WebServer/Documents"

How do I check/set the values of "MACOSXSERVER" and "WEBSHARING_ON"? Thanks, - Dave

ganbustein · 02-28-2012, 12:45 AM

Your documents need to be readable by Apache. The easiest way to do that is make them world-readable (i.e., "everyone" can read). Apache actually runs the browser as user _www (userid 70). Folders and any cgis also need to be world-executable (or at least executable by _www).

acme.mail.order · 02-28-2012, 01:26 AM

Unreadable documents produce a 403 Forbidden error, not a 404 Not Found error.

You have not achieved Kolinahr. Your answer lies elsewhere.

agentx · 02-28-2012, 04:07 AM

System Preferences > Sharing > Turn on Websharing

You can serve up pages by either "creating a personal website folder" in your home folder or from /Library/WebServer/Documents once enabled.

Now it is more than likely a permissions issue on files in /Library/WebServer/Documents

acme.mail.order · 02-28-2012, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laredotornado


	Code: davea$ sudo apachectl start

Quote:

Originally Posted by agentx


	System Preferences > Sharing > Turn on Websharing

More or less the same thing.

laredotornado: what else have you done to the default installation?

agentx · 02-28-2012, 05:33 AM

I agree it is the same but it will list the connection address's in the GUI and allow you to create a personal web sharing folder which is worth testing instead of root webserver folder.

from memory you also may need to set your index file to be index.html on OS X unless you add an Apache directive.
I personally always have used MAMP for devs as it works better and provides an easy way to setup MySQL, PHP, virtual hosts etc.

ambrose · 02-28-2012, 09:33 PM

Consider reviewing the contents of /private/var/log/apache2/error_log

02-27-2012, 10:42 AM	#1
laredotornado Prospect Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 35	Where are default Apache docs served from? Hi, I'm using Mac OSX Lion and wondering how to get my default installation of Apache working. I started the web server fine from a terminal using Code: davea$ sudo apachectl start However, I consistently get 404s when trying to visit http://localhost/, even though I have an index.html file located in /Library/WebServer/Documents . In my /private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf file, I have Code: <IfDefine !MACOSXSERVER> <IfDefine WEBSHARING_ON> # # DocumentRoot: The directory out of which you will serve your # documents. By default, all requests are taken from this directory, but # symbolic links and aliases may be used to point to other locations. # DocumentRoot "/Library/WebServer/Documents" How do I check/set the values of "MACOSXSERVER" and "WEBSHARING_ON"? Thanks, - Dave

02-28-2012, 05:33 AM	#6
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,811	I agree it is the same but it will list the connection address's in the GUI and allow you to create a personal web sharing folder which is worth testing instead of root webserver folder. from memory you also may need to set your index file to be index.html on OS X unless you add an Apache directive. I personally always have used MAMP for devs as it works better and provides an easy way to setup MySQL, PHP, virtual hosts etc. Last edited by agentx; 02-28-2012 at 05:36 AM.

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02-28-2012, 12:45 AM	#2
ganbustein MVP Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Berkeley CA USA Posts: 1,010	Your documents need to be readable by Apache. The easiest way to do that is make them world-readable (i.e., "everyone" can read). Apache actually runs the browser as user _www (userid 70). Folders and any cgis also need to be world-executable (or at least executable by _www).

02-28-2012, 01:26 AM	#3
acme.mail.order League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 6,046	Unreadable documents produce a 403 Forbidden error, not a 404 Not Found error. You have not achieved Kolinahr. Your answer lies elsewhere.

02-28-2012, 04:07 AM	#4
agentx Hall of Famer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Brighton, UK Posts: 3,811	System Preferences > Sharing > Turn on Websharing You can serve up pages by either "creating a personal website folder" in your home folder or from /Library/WebServer/Documents once enabled. Now it is more than likely a permissions issue on files in /Library/WebServer/Documents

02-28-2012, 09:33 PM	#7
ambrose Triple-A Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Western New England Posts: 53	Consider reviewing the contents of /private/var/log/apache2/error_log