Configure HTTP server: Apache HTTP Server (compatible with earlier version)

Note

This chapter describes configuration compatible with earlier version of Apache HTTP Server (prior to 2.4). If you are using version 2.4 or later of Apache HTTP Server, see recommended instruction using separate FastCGI service.

Requirements

Apache HTTP Server.
mod_fcgid, FastCGI server for Apache. Note that "mod_fastcgi" is no longer maintained and highly discouraged.
FCGI, FastCGI interface for Perl.

Note

wwsympa.fcgi is wrapped in small setuid program written in C, wwsympa-wrapper.fcgi.

Setuid wrapper was introduced on Sympa 5.4 in order to avoid to use the --- insecure and no longer maintained --- setuid perl mode.

With HTTP Server 2.4 or later, another installation method using separate FastCGI service does not need setuid wrapper.

General instruction

If you have not added configuration for Sympa to httpd, add following excerpt (Note: replace $EXECCGIDIR, $CSSDIR, $PICTURESDIR and $STATICDIR):

For HTTP Server 2.4:

<Location /sympa>
    SetHandler fcgid-script

    # Don't forget to edit lines below!
    Require all denied
    #Require all granted
</Location>
ScriptAlias /sympa $EXECCGIDIR/wwsympa-wrapper.fcgi

## You may uncomment following lines to enable SympaSOAP feature.
#<Location /sympasoap>
#    SetHandler fcgid-script
#
#    # Don't forget to edit lines below!
#    Require all denied
#    #Require all granted
#</Location>
#ScriptAlias /sympasoap $EXECCGIDIR/sympa_soap_server-wrapper.fcgi

# Other static contents
Alias /static-sympa $STATICDIR

## If your host is dedicated to Sympa:
#RewriteEngine on
#RewriteRule ^/?$ /sympa [R=301]

For HTTP Server 2.2:

<Location /sympa>
    SetHandler fcgid-script

    # Don't forget to edit lines below!
    Order deny,allow
    Deny from all
    #Allow from all
</Location>
ScriptAlias /sympa $EXECCGIDIR/wwsympa-wrapper.fcgi

## You may uncomment following lines to enable SympaSOAP feature.
#<Location /sympasoap>
#    SetHandler fcgid-script
#
#    # Don't forget to edit lines below!
#    Order deny,allow
#    Deny from all
#    #Allow from all
#</Location>
#ScriptAlias /sympasoap $EXECCGIDIR/sympa_soap_server-wrapper.fcgi

# Other static contents
# Line below is needed for 6.2.28 or later.
Alias /static-sympa/css $CSSDIR
# Line below is needed for 6.2.28 or later.
Alias /static-sympa/pictures $PICTURESDIR
Alias /static-sympa $STATICDIR

## If your host is dedicated to Sympa:
#RewriteEngine on
#RewriteRule ^/?$ /sympa [R=301]

In above, /static-sympa/css, /static-sympa/pictures and /static-sympa are the default values of css_url, pictures_url and statoc_content_url, respectively.

Note

Some binary distributions ship configuration ready to edit:

On Debian (10 "buster" or earlier), /etc/apache2/conf-available/sympa.conf file is prepared. Also, separate /etc/apache2/conf-available/sympa-soap.conf file is prepared for SympaSOAP feature.

On RPM (RHEL/CentOS 6), /etc/httpd/conf.d/sympa.conf file is prepared by sympa-httpd package.

Edit it as you prefer.

Note that ServerName or ServerAlias directive should define the host part of wwsympa_url parameter. Because Sympa refers to SERVER_NAME CGI environment variable to determine host name of web service.

You may also tune FastCGI by adding directives such as FcgidIOTimeout, FcgidMaxProcesses or FcgidMaxRequestLen. For more details see the mod_fcgid reference page.
Restart httpd.