Installation Instructions

Installing NCSA HTTPd can be broken down into these basic steps:

Downloading the NCSA HTTPd Server

 If you already have a copy of the current release of NCSA HTTPd 1.5, you may skip to the next step.

NCSA HTTPd is available as precompiled distributions and binaries for systems we have access to.

There is also a new SingleClick Download and Configure for easy access to NCSA HTTPd.

If you already have NCSA HTTPd 1.4 running, you may update the HTTPd binary without the new support files.

Note: There are several new support files for the new authorization types, as well as examples of many of the other new features in the configuration files, so you might want to retrieve the support files anyways. A step-by-step guide on how to update the old server is available.

If your system is not on this list, or if you feel more comfortable doing so, you must compile a binary.

Finding HTTPd a Good Home

 At this stage, you should move HTTPd's control files from the directory you have been working in to the directory you intend to use as ServerRoot in the server configuration file.

Unless you have redefined their locations in the server configuration file, you will have to move the following files and directories into ServerRoot:

The logs directory should not be writable by the User your server is running as.

Configuring HTTPd

 The NCSA HTTPd Server is a versatile piece of software, the result of hours and hours of blood, sweat, and tears by the NCSA HTTPd Development team and Beta testers the world over. Its versatility does come at a price, however, as you the webmaster must configure the server to fit your needs. There are 3 types of configuration that can be done.

Compile Time

The NCSA HTTPd server has several compile time flags. These are contained in the files src/Makefile and src/config.h of the distribution. These files are fairly well documented.
See also: Compiling NCSA HTTPd

Startup Configuration Files

There are 3 files the server parses at start up (or after receiving a SIGHUP signal). There is some General information available on the configuration file format.

There are three configuration files which control Server Configuration, Resource Configuration, and Access Control. You should look at and modify the files conf/httpd.conf-dist, conf/srm.conf-dist and conf/access.conf-dist which come with the distribution so that they are correct for your server.

Run Time Configuration

The server also supports per directory configuration files, mostly for access control. The files in each directory of an accessed The name of this file is set with the AccessFileName directive in the Resource Configuration file. See the Access Configuration documents for more information.

Selecting Scripts

 NCSA HTTPd 1.5 comes with many CGI scripts, both useful and informative. NCSA HTTPd 1.5 does not support the former NCSA htbin scripts, and these scripts should be removed from the document tree. It is not necessary to install all of the scripts at your site (and we don't recommend it). Peruse the list of CGI scripts, and move those you want into the cgi-bin/ directory you defined in your Server Resource Configuration File.

Starting NCSA HTTPd

 Once you have completed the above steps, and you are using standalone you can start the server by typing httpd at the command line. Note: You must be root in order to use a port less than 1024. You may need to use one of the command line options to override the compile time paths to the configuration files. The flags are: 
Usage: httpd [-d directory] [-f file] [-v]
-d directory     : specify an alternate initial ServerRoot
-f file          : specify an alternate ServerConfigFile
-v               : version information (this screen)
If you are installing the server as root, you will probably want to automatically start HTTPd when the machine boots. This can be done through modifications to various /etc/rc* or /etc/init.d/* files, depending on your system.

If you are running the server from inetd, you need to edit the OS system files.
If you have problems starting your server, check out the FAQ

If you have completed these steps, Congratulations! Your server is ready to go.

Before you run off to play with your new toy, please read this guide to referencing files on your server.

[Back] Return to the Overview
NCSA HTTPd Development Team / httpd@ncsa.uiuc.edu / 10-30-95