Networking / Beginners

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Running httpd

After the Apache RPM is installed, use a tool such as chkconfig or tksysv to add httpd to the boot process to ensure that the server restarts when the system reboots. For example, to start httpd for runlevels 3 and 5 on a Red Hat system, enter the following chkconfig command:

[root]# chkconfig --level 35 httpd on
[root]# chkconfig --list httpd
httpd 0:off 1:off 2:off 3:on 4:off 5:on 6:off

If your system doesn't have chkconfig, use another tool, such as tksysv. tksysv is used to run httpd at startup. Highlight httpd in the Available box, click Add, and then click Done in the next two dialog boxes to add it to the startup process.

If you don't install Apache from an RPM file, you won't have the /etc/init.d/ httpd startup script, and you will need to add Apache to the startup on your own.

You might be surprised to find that Apache is already configured and ready to run. Try this little test.

Listing: Starting and Checking httpd

[root]# httpd &
[1] 2366
[root]# ps -Chttpd
  PID TTY 	TIME CMD
2367 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2368 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2369 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2370 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2371 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2372 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2373 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2374 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
2375 ? 		00:00:00 httpd
[1]+  Done 			httpd

Start the httpd daemon, and use the process status (ps) command to check for all httpd processes running on the system. (This group of httpd processes is called the swarm; we will cover the swarm in more detail later.)

Next, launch a web browser and point it to the localhost. Not only is Apache installed and running, it is configured and responding with web data.