path: root/docs/man/apxs.1

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.TH "APXS" 1 "2012-01-09" "Apache HTTP Server" "apxs"

.SH NAME
apxs \- APache eXtenSion tool

.SH "SYNOPSIS"
 
.PP
\fBapxs\fR -\fBg\fR [ -\fBS\fR \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR ] -\fBn\fR \fImodname\fR
 
.PP
\fBapxs\fR -\fBq\fR [ -\fBv\fR ] [ -\fBS\fR \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR ] \fIquery\fR \&.\&.\&.
 
.PP
\fBapxs\fR -\fBc\fR [ -\fBS\fR \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR ] [ -\fBo\fR \fIdsofile\fR ] [ -\fBI\fR \fIincdir\fR ] [ -\fBD\fR \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR ] [ -\fBL\fR \fIlibdir\fR ] [ -\fBl\fR \fIlibname\fR ] [ -\fBWc,\fR\fIcompiler-flags\fR ] [ -\fBWl,\fR\fIlinker-flags\fR ] \fIfiles\fR \&.\&.\&.
 
.PP
\fBapxs\fR -\fBi\fR [ -\fBS\fR \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR ] [ -\fBn\fR \fImodname\fR ] [ -\fBa\fR ] [ -\fBA\fR ] \fIdso-file\fR \&.\&.\&.
 
.PP
\fBapxs\fR -\fBe\fR [ -\fBS\fR \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR ] [ -\fBn\fR \fImodname\fR ] [ -\fBa\fR ] [ -\fBA\fR ] \fIdso-file\fR \&.\&.\&.
 

.SH "SUMMARY"
 
.PP
apxs is a tool for building and installing extension modules for the Apache HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server\&. This is achieved by building a dynamic shared object (DSO) from one or more source or object \fIfiles\fR which then can be loaded into the Apache server under runtime via the LoadModule directive from mod_so\&.
 
.PP
So to use this extension mechanism your platform has to support the DSO feature and your Apache httpd binary has to be built with the mod_so module\&. The apxs tool automatically complains if this is not the case\&. You can check this yourself by manually running the command
 
.nf

      $ httpd -l
    
.fi
 
.PP
The module mod_so should be part of the displayed list\&. If these requirements are fulfilled you can easily extend your Apache server's functionality by installing your own modules with the DSO mechanism by the help of this apxs tool:
 
.nf

      $ apxs -i -a -c mod_foo\&.c
      gcc -fpic -DSHARED_MODULE -I/path/to/apache/include -c mod_foo\&.c
      ld -Bshareable -o mod_foo\&.so mod_foo\&.o
      cp mod_foo\&.so /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo\&.so
      chmod 755 /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo\&.so
      [activating module `foo' in /path/to/apache/etc/httpd\&.conf]
      $ apachectl restart
      /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd not running, trying to start
      [Tue Mar 31 11:27:55 1998] [debug] mod_so\&.c(303): loaded module foo_module
      /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd started
      $ _
    
.fi
 
.PP
The arguments \fIfiles\fR can be any C source file (\&.c), a object file (\&.o) or even a library archive (\&.a)\&. The apxs tool automatically recognizes these extensions and automatically used the C source files for compilation while just using the object and archive files for the linking phase\&. But when using such pre-compiled objects make sure they are compiled for position independent code (PIC) to be able to use them for a dynamically loaded shared object\&. For instance with GCC you always just have to use -fpic\&. For other C compilers consult its manual page or at watch for the flags apxs uses to compile the object files\&.
 
.PP
For more details about DSO support in Apache read the documentation of mod_so or perhaps even read the src/modules/standard/mod_so\&.c source file\&.
 

.SH "OPTIONS"
 
.SS "Common Options"
 
 
.TP
-n \fImodname\fR
This explicitly sets the module name for the -i (install) and -g (template generation) option\&. Use this to explicitly specify the module name\&. For option -g this is required, for option -i the apxs tool tries to determine the name from the source or (as a fallback) at least by guessing it from the filename\&.  
  
.SS "Query Options"
 
 
.TP
-q
Performs a query for variables and environment settings used to build httpd\&. When invoked without \fIquery\fR parameters, it prints all known variables and their values\&. The optional -v parameter formats the list output\&. .PP Use this to manually determine settings used to build the httpd that will load your module\&. For instance use INC=-I`apxs -q INCLUDEDIR` .PP inside your own Makefiles if you need manual access to Apache's C header files\&.  
  
.SS "Configuration Options"
 
 
.TP
-S \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR
This option changes the apxs settings described above\&.  
  
.SS "Template Generation Options"
 
 
.TP
-g
This generates a subdirectory \fIname\fR (see option -n) and there two files: A sample module source file named mod_\fIname\fR\&.c which can be used as a template for creating your own modules or as a quick start for playing with the apxs mechanism\&. And a corresponding Makefile for even easier build and installing of this module\&.  
  
.SS "DSO Compilation Options"
 
 
.TP
-c
This indicates the compilation operation\&. It first compiles the C source files (\&.c) of \fIfiles\fR into corresponding object files (\&.o) and then builds a dynamically shared object in \fIdsofile\fR by linking these object files plus the remaining object files (\&.o and \&.a) of \fIfiles\fR\&. If no -o option is specified the output file is guessed from the first filename in \fIfiles\fR and thus usually defaults to mod_\fIname\fR\&.so\&.  
.TP
-o \fIdsofile\fR
Explicitly specifies the filename of the created dynamically shared object\&. If not specified and the name cannot be guessed from the \fIfiles\fR list, the fallback name mod_unknown\&.so is used\&.  
.TP
-D \fIname\fR=\fIvalue\fR
This option is directly passed through to the compilation command(s)\&. Use this to add your own defines to the build process\&.  
.TP
-I \fIincdir\fR
This option is directly passed through to the compilation command(s)\&. Use this to add your own include directories to search to the build process\&.  
.TP
-L \fIlibdir\fR
This option is directly passed through to the linker command\&. Use this to add your own library directories to search to the build process\&.  
.TP
-l \fIlibname\fR
This option is directly passed through to the linker command\&. Use this to add your own libraries to search to the build process\&.  
.TP
-Wc,\fIcompiler-flags\fR
This option passes \fIcompiler-flags\fR as additional flags to the libtool --mode=compile command\&. Use this to add local compiler-specific options\&.  
.TP
-Wl,\fIlinker-flags\fR
This option passes \fIlinker-flags\fR as additional flags to the libtool --mode=link command\&. Use this to add local linker-specific options\&.  
  
.SS "DSO Installation and Configuration Options"
  
 
.TP
-i
This indicates the installation operation and installs one or more dynamically shared objects into the server's \fImodules\fR directory\&.  
.TP
-a
This activates the module by automatically adding a corresponding LoadModule line to Apache's httpd\&.conf configuration file, or by enabling it if it already exists\&.  
.TP
-A
Same as option -a but the created LoadModule directive is prefixed with a hash sign (#), \fIi\&.e\&.\fR, the module is just prepared for later activation but initially disabled\&.  
.TP
-e
This indicates the editing operation, which can be used with the -a and -A options similarly to the -i operation to edit Apache's httpd\&.conf configuration file without attempting to install the module\&.  
  
.SH "EXAMPLES"
 
.PP
Assume you have an Apache module named mod_foo\&.c available which should extend Apache's server functionality\&. To accomplish this you first have to compile the C source into a shared object suitable for loading into the Apache server under runtime via the following command:
 
.nf

      $ apxs -c mod_foo\&.c
      /path/to/libtool --mode=compile gcc \&.\&.\&. -c mod_foo\&.c
      /path/to/libtool --mode=link gcc \&.\&.\&. -o mod_foo\&.la mod_foo\&.slo
      $ _
    
.fi
 
.PP
Then you have to update the Apache configuration by making sure a LoadModule directive is present to load this shared object\&. To simplify this step apxs provides an automatic way to install the shared object in its "modules" directory and updating the httpd\&.conf file accordingly\&. This can be achieved by running:
 
.nf

      $ apxs -i -a mod_foo\&.la
      /path/to/instdso\&.sh mod_foo\&.la /path/to/apache/modules
      /path/to/libtool --mode=install cp mod_foo\&.la /path/to/apache/modules
      \&.\&.\&.
      chmod 755 /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo\&.so
      [activating module `foo' in /path/to/apache/conf/httpd\&.conf]
      $ _
    
.fi
 
.PP
This way a line named
 
.nf

      LoadModule foo_module modules/mod_foo\&.so
    
.fi
 
.PP
is added to the configuration file if still not present\&. If you want to have this disabled per default use the -A option, \fIi\&.e\&.\fR
 
.nf

      $ apxs -i -A mod_foo\&.c
    
.fi
 
.PP
For a quick test of the apxs mechanism you can create a sample Apache module template plus a corresponding Makefile via:
 
.nf

      $ apxs -g -n foo
      Creating [DIR]  foo
      Creating [FILE] foo/Makefile
      Creating [FILE] foo/modules\&.mk
      Creating [FILE] foo/mod_foo\&.c
      Creating [FILE] foo/\&.deps
      $ _
    
.fi
 
.PP
Then you can immediately compile this sample module into a shared object and load it into the Apache server:
 
.nf

      $ cd foo
      $ make all reload
      apxs -c mod_foo\&.c
      /path/to/libtool --mode=compile gcc \&.\&.\&. -c mod_foo\&.c
      /path/to/libtool --mode=link gcc \&.\&.\&. -o mod_foo\&.la mod_foo\&.slo
      apxs -i -a -n "foo" mod_foo\&.la
      /path/to/instdso\&.sh mod_foo\&.la /path/to/apache/modules
      /path/to/libtool --mode=install cp mod_foo\&.la /path/to/apache/modules
      \&.\&.\&.
      chmod 755 /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo\&.so
      [activating module `foo' in /path/to/apache/conf/httpd\&.conf]
      apachectl restart
      /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd not running, trying to start
      [Tue Mar 31 11:27:55 1998] [debug] mod_so\&.c(303): loaded module foo_module
      /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd started
      $ _
    
.fi