The Apache Web Server

With the release of Leopard, Apple have bundled, for the first time, the Apache 2 web server. The inner workings of Apache are a complete mystery to me but I do know how to turn it on and off and change some of the settings and that is all we have to do here. Sure, you can stop and start Apache from the Terminal but why do that when you have a preference pane that will do the same thing for you?

Starting and Stopping Apache

1. Open System Preferences and click on the ‘Sharing’ icon in the ‘Internet and Network’ group.
2. Find ‘Personal Web Sharing’ in the list and select it.
3. Check the box and Apache will start up and you now have a functional web server.

You should see a link below the ’stop’ button that says:

View this computer’s website at http://127.0.0.1

Click on the link and your browser should open and display the Apache logo and welcome screen. That means your server is working as it should.

For now, click on the ’stop’ button in the sharing preference pane and turn Apache off again. Our next step is to get PHP working.

Next: The PHP Processor