Basic Apache server configuration step by step

Basic Apache server configuration

Installing Apache

When you’re working with Apache, you need two packages. The first is httpd, which actually installs the Apache web server. The second is the mod_ssl package, which provides the ability to create secure websites.

Step 1. Install the two required packages:

# yum install –y httpd mod_ssl

Step 2. Verify that the packages were installed correctly:

# rpm -qa | grep http

httpd-2.2.15-5.el6.x86_64

httpd-tools-2.2.15-5.el6.x86_64

# rpm -qa | grep ssl

mod_ssl-2.2.15-5.el6.x86_64

openssl-1.0.0-4.el6.x86_64

Step 3. With the packages installed, make sure that the service is set to start when the system boots:

# chkconfig httpd on

Step 4. Verify your changes:

                # chkconfig httpd --list

httpd  0:off 1:off  2:on  3:on  4:on  5:on 6:off

Open http main config file

# vi /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

DocumentRoot “/var/www/html”

Test the config file:

# service httpd configtest

Syntax OK

# service httpd restart

Stopping httpd:                    [ OK ]

Starting httpd:                      [ OK ]

Firewall and SELinux Configuration

For your web server to become fully functional, you need to make some security Changes. First and foremost, the firewall needs to be opened on port 80.

Step 1. Use iptables to create the additional firewall rules:

# iptables -I INPUT  -p tcp -m tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT

Step 2. Save the firewall rules you have just created:

# service iptables save

Saving firewall rules to /etc/sysconfig/iptables:            [ OK ]

Step 3. Then restart the iptables service:

# service iptables restart

iptables: Flushing firewall rules:                                       [ OK ]

iptables: Setting chains to policy ACCEPT: filter             [ OK ]

iptables: Unloading modules:                                            [ OK ]

iptables: Applying firewall rules:                                      [ OK ]

Some Changes required in SELinux

You need to disable the SELinux service protection to be able to utilize basic web services.

Step 1. Query for the Boolean value you need to change:

# getsebool -a | grep httpd_dis

httpd_disable_trans --> off

Step 2. Disable the SELinux protection:

# setsebool -P httpd_disable_trans=1

Step 3. Verify that the Boolean has changed:

# getsebool -a | grep httpd_dis

httpd_disable_trans --> on

Create Web Directories

Step 1. Create the customer web directories:

# mkdir /var/www/site1

# mkdir /var/www/site2

Step 2. Check the current context of the files:

# ls -Z /var/www

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_script_exec_t:s0 cgi-bin

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 error

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 html

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 icons

drwxr-xr-x. root root unconfined_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 site1

drwxr-xr-x. root root unconfined_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 site2

You can change the context of the customer sites to match the default site (the html directory).

Step 3. Use the chcon command to change the context of the user and domain:

# chcon -Rvu system_u site1

changing security context of ‘site1’

# chcon -Rvu system_u site1

changing security context of ‘site1

Step 4. You also could reference the default directory for a single command:

# chcon --reference=html site2

This changes the site2 directory to match the html directory’s SELinux context.

Step 5. You can now check again and verify that all the context fields for the two customer site directories have been changed correctly:

# ll -Z

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_script_exec_t:s0 cgi-bin

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 error

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 html

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 icons

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 site1

drwxr-xr-x. root root system_u:object_r:httpd_sys_content_t:s0 site2

Now finally open browser and check your web site.

http://yourlocalIP or http://127.0.0.1