Topic: Apache 2.2.7 RC available

[Steffen]

Apache 2.2.7 is around the corner and is available. It is expected that it is official released by ASF, maybe with minor changes. Apache Lounge runs now 2.2.7 with no ssues so far.

The binary contains two patches from Tom, see the below post from Tom.

Apache 2.2.7 with apr-1.2.12 apr-util-1.2.12 apr-iconv-1.2.1 openssl-0.9.8g+asm zlib-1.2.3+asm

10 jan 2008: Apache 2.2.8 is available

Notes:

The binary is now build with #define APR_DSO_BUILD 1
This will let people use DBD if they want to, without needing to build Apache themselves. It has no effect if DBD is not used.

I included a mod_perl.so which is build against 2.2.7 in the .zip. So the regular/official used mod from http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/ can be used and works also with ActivePerl 5.8.8.822.

Steffen

[tdonovan]

The two patches in Steffen's Apache 2.2.7 release-candidate download are:

1. - The Win32DisableAcceptEx directive caused Apache 2.2.7rc to crash.
This was a result of an incomplete fix for Apache Bug 11427.
The patch used is from comment #16 in this bug. It is a trivial 2-line change.
The actual source code patch is here.
This patch has already been accepted for Apache 2.2.8, but it wasn't in 2.2.7.

2. - mod_perl fails when Apache is started from the command line.
This is Apache Bug 43534 which has been around in various forms since 2.2.5.
The patch used is from comment #6 in the bug. It provides a "NUL" stdout handle for command-line startup, like is already done for service startup.
The actual source code patch is here.
The Apache developers have not made a decision yet about this patch for Apache 2.2.8, but you can watch Bug 43534 for updates on the problem.

Even with the patched download, mod_perl users should use the mod_perl.so which Steffen has included, rather than a mod_perl.so from an earlier release.

There is a discussion in the apache-dev list about problems with 2.2.7 when proxying to a site which sends large chunks of response data. This sounds fairly serious - so anyone testing with mod_proxy should remember to check that you really get the full response, and not just "most of it".

It is hard to predict if ASF will release 2.2.7 with these problems, or maybe cancel the release like they did with Apache 2.2.5. Nevertheless, I think it is a worthwhile effort to test this release candidate as thoroughly as possible so we can find all the bugs to get them fixed in the next release.

-tom-

[tdonovan]

The Apache developers have apparently decided that Apache 2.2.7 won't be released, but a version 2.2.8 is likely in the very near future.

Re: Apache Bug 43534 - the current 2.2.8 code runs mod_perl OK (both as a service or from the command-line), but the Apache 2.2.8 Windows code now causes some unsettling behavior when run from the command-line (with or without mod_perl). It looks about 50/50 whether this will get fixed for 2.2.8.

Re: the discussion in the apache-dev list about problems with 2.2.7 - Nick Kew has a very interesting blog post about it. This problem looks very likely to be fixed in 2.2.8.

An interesting week ahead!

-tom-

[PipoDeClown]

meanwhile apache.org is running "Apache/2.3.0-dev (Unix)".
what is the status about that one?

[James Blond]

[Mitron]

[tdonovan]

Thanks for the kind words, Mitron.

Do you think it would be better for Apache Lounge to post a Windows binary download with a patch, or just live with the command-line problem in 2.2.8?

I don't get the reference to Nick, though. The ASF folks are not particularly fond of Apache Lounge in general - but the only "Nick" there, while not a Windows guy, has always been helpful and considerate to us.

-tom-

[Mitron]