Re: conditionally create a Virtual Host?

[Heather Lotz <knot22@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A new file was created on Z: for the sole purpose of having a designated file for Apache to seek.
The file is  called Z:\files\development\ApacheSmokeSignal.txt.

The httpd-vhosts.conf file was modified as follows:

<If "-d Z:/files/development/ApacheSmokeSignal.txt">

<VirtualHost *:8080>    

 DocumentRoot "Z:/files/xampp/htdocs"

 <Directory "Z:/files/xampp/htdocs">

  Options Indexes

  Require all granted

 </Directory>

</VirtualHost>

</If>

With this update, Apache starts so long as Z: is attached to the PC.  However, when Z: is not attached Apache does not start and these lines appear in the XAMPP Control Panel console:

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  Error: Apache shutdown unexpectedly.

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  This may be due to a blocked port, missing dependencies,

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  improper privileges, a crash, or a shutdown by another method.

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  Press the Logs button to view error logs and check

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  the Windows Event Viewer for more clues

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  If you need more help, copy and post this

9:54:20 PM  [Apache]  entire log window on the forums

There are no entries in error.log with a Wed Aug 21 21:54 or later timestamp.

Is the syntax for the If tag incorrect or was the wrong unary operator selected?

---

From: Nigel B. Peck <nigelbpeck@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2019 9:45 PM
To: users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: conditionally create a Virtual Host?

 

On Wed, 21 Aug 2019 at 7:21 pm, Heather Lotz <knot22@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Greetings,

In my development environment on a Windows 10 PC I have added the following to Apache's configuration files -

To httpd.conf:

Listen 8080

To httpd-vhosts.conf:

<VirtualHost *:8080>    

    DocumentRoot "Z:/files/xampp/htdocs"

<Directory "Z:/files/xampp/htdocs">

 Options Indexes

 Require all granted

</Directory>

</VirtualHost>

Note that Z: is mapped to an external storage device.

With this setup, Apache successfully accesses C: on port 80 and Z: on port 8080.  However, if the external storage device is not attached to the computer, Apache will not start.  Is there a way to check if Z: is present, and only create the virtual host if that device is plugged in so that Apache always starts?  If so, how can this be achieved?

I reckon you could wrap the <VirtualHost> in an<If> that checks for the existence of z:/ using an appropriate operator from:

https://httpd.apache.org/docs/current/expr.html#unnop

Nigel B. Peck

Web Technologies and Linux Admin Mentor

https://codementor.io/nigelbpeck