Okay, I can use linux, do some light programing in it, etc. On the web I can do css, html etc. Big Deal, many can... Unfortunately these "skills" were little or no help (for the most part) when it came time for me to make a test sever to run Zen Cart on before uploading. 4 weeks later I am starting over. Every so-called perfect set-up for a LAMP is based on a particular flavor and is in disagreement with it's peers who have their way to set it up...

The older Apache had some of the configuration in httpd.conf, now with 2.2 it is an empty container... I see from the Apache website I am to use a simpler <virtualhost> descriptive or another method, but now I am supposed to use Apache2.conf to set up my demands?

Heck, I was not sure how to deal with older apache 1.0, I get that 2.2 is easier, but how is it easier exactly? Perhaps I am over thinking it? Perhaps a nap may help? A beer? Anyhow, I just want to get a relatively good grasp of this thing called LAMP with SSL so I can avoid using actual cyberspace for building a comercial site. That would have to really su... hmmm, be a bad thing.

So, Anyone know of a good book, site, tutorial that can help me understand more about how all this is supposed to work? How to configure what and where? My biggest problem is that, if I do not understand what I am doing or why, I can go no further. I have done so in the past with mixed results and I really do not want to spend anymore time banging my head against the brick, well, adobe wall outside. So, any direction to a place I can get clearer answers then I do from the apache web site would be great Thanks!

BTW, I in no way feel there is anything wrong with the way the apache.org site explains things... I am looking to get a... oh, a different way of having it explained. I understand what is there on the site, but there are too many concepts I can not get answers to as they.. well, I guess it is that not all my questions deal directly with Apache so much as how I should implement IP addresses and why I should do it in that way, if you get my meaning? If you have no idea what the heck I am talking about, have no worry as I have no idea what I am talking about either... that is my problem... I need to KNOW what the heck I am talking about or I will just stumble onto something that kinda works, but I will not know why. Perhaps it is better that way in this case?

I do not suppose it matters but if it does I am using Debian 5 (Lenny) and an old Apple G4 (ppc). Apache 2.2, PHP5, Perl, Python, mysql and pretty much anything else that sounded interesting and sure to complicate things. Oh yea, a mail server is still in consideration. No I have not done bind9 yet... At least I did not install it myself. I do not think it was done by the 1st install as I used apt-get to control what I got... kinda-sorta anyway. Thanks for your interest and help... if you got this far you deserve it. Perhaps a different flavor would help... or one of the bsd varieties? At this point anything could help.

Look at http://lamphowto.com.

I have read through his LAMP with SSL...

The problem I have is that I used to see the directives in httpd.conf in apache 1.* as well as early 2.0? I am not certain of this claim as I had the older 1.* and 2.0 at the same time when I started this project. Now in 2.2 I see it is empty. The httpd.conf is where I would have made my directive : server: 192.168.0.100 or what have you. Now I do not see this directive example anywhere in the few components in /etc/apache2 vs the old /etc/apache/apache.conf as well as httpd.conf

I sent an email to Bruce asking if he may have some advice on what books, periodicals, web sites etc that may help me get a grip on the issues I am facing vs a blueprint I do not quite understand...

Another issue is that all the man pages as well as the sites that are out there (inc. apache.org) are geared towards the user having a certain level of understanding that I just do not have. Being disabled and living in a very rural mountain community in New Mexico I can not access a school to learn these things... and to be honest I do not have the time to waste on the slower progress of a classroom.

So There ya go. Thanks for pointing out Bruce's LAMP page, but I am looking for a more deeper level of understanding.

I already have several books, a SAM book geared to teach apache, mysql and php... but it was written when apache had just started 2.0
I have a html everything book... A linux command book... But in every book I have it talks about the issues I want to understand in a condensed manner.

What do I want to understand? That is really a good question...

Okay, upon consideration I want to understand the process to set up a test server that is only a lan. I do not want it to let anyone in from the internet. I want to know how to set up apache so it will work on one site at a time. My problem at the moment is only with apache 2.2 and how to set the configuration that will make it so my server address is 192.168.0.100 and my other computers on my lan will be able to get on the site I am making Before I put it online. I will be happy if from my other machines I can just put in an address and the internal LAN will serve up my website. I know there are a lot of people that do this and it can not be that hard to find a clear description of how to set apache 2.2 up for this purpose.

So, anyone who knows where I can get this info, please give me a sign.... As I wrote before... perhaps I should use a IBM machine with a different distro? Perhaps this would be a clearer path?

Debian and other derivatives do not enable Apache the same as other distributions. See:

http://www.debianadmin.com/install-a...bian-etch.html

Thanks for trying everyone...

Also for putting up with my verbose tendencies...


I have found webmastersworld.com

As for the debian etch direction? I am using lenny with a G4... (mac ppc) but with everything I wrote I can understand the difficulty in keeping track of what it was I was asking...

So, thanks, I am finished with this thread.
Kat