[CentOS-docs] document proposal: TipsAndTricks/ApacheVHostDir

Sun Aug 23 02:54:34 UTC 2009
R P Herrold <herrold at centos.org>

On Sat, 22 Aug 2009, Ed Heron wrote:

> From: "Manuel Wolfshant", Saturday, August 22, 2009 2:00 PM
>
>> While we are at it, let's also add a folder for all existing modules and
>> another one for symlinks of active modules, pointing back to the first
>> folder.

>> And also, let's have all vhosts in a folder, but all active vhosts
>> should be symlinks to them, from another folder.

>> And why not compile the binary from source, that's how gentoo does it !
>
>  I didn't realize I was inviting sarcasm.  I don't think it is appropriate
> in this forum.  I was, apparently unreasonably, expecting calm, thought out
> discussion followed by a consensus.

The problem is this -- a vhost.d and linkfarm constellation 
works (for some meanings of 'works'), and is not unheard of -- 
but it also contemplates adding directories not identifiable 
by:
 	rpm -qf /path/to/vhost.d/templates

is note integrated with SELinux, and it not accompanied by a 
documented or LSB or FHS model management tool (see, eg, 
alternatives, or chkconfig)

Local extensions are all well and good; but the CentOS 
approach is conservative, and not developmental; it is about 
management within the model of the upstream, of a form that 
will not get 'tromped on' by an async upstream security 
upgrade, and automatable sysadmin provisioning and management 
tools.

We have the memory of the 'cacheing nameserver' and 'bind' 
named.conf changes mid release causing outages upon the 
unwary.  Those using non-upstream docoed's approaches were 
caught when a local extension was stepped on by upstream. 
That means we at CentOS, when we extend, package sources into 
RPMs, with directories that SELinux is comfortable with, and 
use versioned tools so delivered.

I strongly suspect that the draft model of links needs a raft 
of SElinux modifications as well.  Haven't tried yet, as 
frankly, it strikes me that this type of work needs to be 
thrashed out in the Fedora context and rough and tumble of 
development.  It is just not where the CentOS wiki needs to 
be, in my opinion.

'wolfy' used the executive sumamry and telegraphic model to 
communicate this which we use in IRC when proposals like this 
arise; I hope this longer form is not considered 'sarcastic'

-- Russ herrold