Basically, when typing in the "which" command, I'm shown that a particular program that is the default is located in /sbin [i.e. such as apachectl ]

If I install a newer version and its executable is located in a different directory [i.e. /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl], I'm still gonna' execute the origional /sbin apachectl.

How may I eliminate the /sbin executable and cause the system to think that my new installations are the default programs to select?

info : RedHat 7.3 web server setup.

Thanks ahead............. |;-)

1. If you don't want the prog in /sbin, remove it and make a link to prog in /usr/local.../bin.
2. If you want any prog to be found before the other, just change your path to check the specific directory first.
(Eg. export PATH=/usr/local...:$PATH )

But I am not familiar with apachae server. May be that prog starts from some file and you might have to modify that.
--Sarin

oohhhh yea.....save/rename origional program, then create link using same name, re-directed to the proper program I wish to run. Great! Works fine.

Placed in the /usr/sbin directory :
ln -s /usr/local/apache/bin/apachectl apachectl

I do still wonder what origionally deceided that the programs in /usr/sbin were the "Which" or primary programs to be run.

Much thanks for your help!

ooppps, I should of read the entire reply :

2. If you want any prog to be found before the other, just change your path to check the specific directory first.
(Eg. export PATH=/usr/local...:$PATH )

Does that mean that The first instance of any given program will superceed a second one of the same name based on the sequence of pathing listed in the $PATH variable ?

ex :
apachectl is both in -
1. /usr/sbin
2./usr/local/apache/bin

If the $PATH is set as - /usr/sbin : /usr/local/apache/bin

it will distinguish the one in /usr/sbin as first choice ?

sorry, don't mean to be confusing.

that is right. The system goes thru the entries in you PATH one by one till it finds the first executable with the name you typed.

BTW, did you install a later version of apache by yourself than the one that comes with RH7.3?

If you did, you might want to configure --with-layout=RedHat ( --enable-layout for apache 2.0.40, I think. See configure --help and config.layout )so that it will install the things you want where RedHat wants it.

So you will be able to type /etc/rc.d/init.d/httpd (start|stop) or /sbin/service httpd (start|stop) .. as root of course.

First, there were distributions. God said "Let there be LSB."

Yes, I did a tarball installation to embed PHP 4.0 in Apache.

I'll readup / use --with-layout parameter on my next install, as you suggest.

Very interresting, much thanks!