Apache web server
Apache web server and .htaccess
With so many web server software options available to the user, it can be hard to decide which web server software to use. There are many options available for a Linux server, but few are as stable, powerful, and trusted as the Apache Web Server.
Apache is, by far, the most robust web server option available for use on a Linux dedicated server. It’s development is managed by the Apache Foundation, who also created Tomcat, which functions as a Java Application Server. Apache is used on millions of Linux dedicated servers world wide. It’s source code is open source and distributed under the GNU Public License. On top of that, it’s provided at no cost! Apache provides your Linux server with a web server solution for both the standard HTTP and the secure HTTPS protocols. For the user who prefers a Microsoft Windows platform, Apache runs on that, too!
Apache is the backbone to almost all Linux dedicated server solutions because of the various configuration options available with it. Apache provides the extremely useful and powerful Virtual Host function, which allows your Linux server to host multiple domains and sub-domains from the same server, whether they are on a shared or static IP address. It’s configuration hosts the primary configuration for the system’s web server as a whole, and the .htaccess function can be used to provide configurations for both individual sites and even the individual directories accessible on those websites.
Being the most popular web server software for Linux dedicated servers is hard. In this age of technology, vulnerabilities are found in many software packages, and while Apache is not exempt from vulnerabilities, Apache does have an extremely dedicated staff of developers that release patches to vulnerabilities in an extremely short time. You can rest assured that your Apache web server – and your Linux dedicated server as a whole — will be secure and stable, and that if any vulnerabilities are found, the security holes will be fixed quickly and provided at no additional cost.
The .htaccess function in Apache is quite powerful in many ways, besides just the individual configurations for a site. It allows the administrator of a web site to implement various PHP tweaks to allow for slightly different configuration options depending on which PHP script is being accessed by the visitors to your site. The .htaccess function also provides a simple means for password protected user authentication when you have data on you website that you wish to keep away from prying eyes and non-administrative users. Last, but not least, it also provides the user and administrator with the ability to create what are known as redirects or rewrites to a web site’s URL, which can redirect a user from one site to another, and also mask the structure of your website’s files and the directories that hold them. This can be useful for keeping sensitive data from being accessible by users who should not have that access, and to keep people from accessing your web site code. With so many vulnerable and mis-configured Linux servers on the internet, the .htaccess function can help you secure your web site and keep your Linux server from being turned into a malicious cracker’s puppet.
In conclusion, with the Apache Web Server, along with it’s .htaccess function, you can’t go wrong. These abilities are just a few of the reasons why the Apache Web Server is the most popular web hosting solution available for Linux dedicated servers.
