I would like to run two apache2 web-servers on Ubunto 6.06, an apache 2.2 front-end server sending requests via proxy-pass to a mod_perl2 backend server running on port 81.

I have the mod_perl-enabled backend server (2.0.55) up and running using apt-get, and could do a manual compile & install of apache 2.2 from source, but would like to use apt-get to install & configure it.

Is it possible to install v2.2 using aptitude, and without over-writing my existing installation?

You can run two instances of the same apache binary with different configurations. Something like:

cp -a /etc/apache2 /etc/apache2-secondary

Set up the configuration in the apache2-secondary directory, then fire off something like:

httpd -f /etc/apache2-secondary/apache2.conf -k start

Unless there is some specific Apache 2.2 feature you need in the proxy layer, you could also use lighttpd as the proxy.

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The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the world.
-- seen on the net

Nothing specific to Apache2, it's just that I need the ProxyPass functionality for the front-end and am very familiar with Apache2 config but have never used lighttpd. Might have a go though. Is lighttpd easy to set-up for 6.06 using apt-get? And can it do proxypass (or equivalent)?

And thanks Xan, that looks like an easy one to try for starters.

Lighttpd should be able to do what you need; the doc for the proxy module is at http://trac.lighttpd.net/trac/wiki/Docs%3AModProxy. In Debian, lighttpd is just an apt-get away; don't know about Ubuntu.

OTOH, just running two instances of apache with different config files might be more convenient. The advantage (to my experience) of lighttpd is less memory use.

_________________
The irony is that Bill Gates claims to be making a stable operating system and Linus Torvalds claims to be trying to take over the world.

-- seen on the net