title: Preserve those defaults link: https://onemoretech.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/preserve-those-defaults/ author: lembobro description: post_id: 285 created: 2009/07/18 04:59:34 created_gmt: 2009/07/18 04:59:34 comment_status: open post_name: preserve-those-defaults status: publish post_type: post

Preserve those defaults

Had an interesting experience tonight. Was trying to get Apache 2.2’s mod_authnz_ldap working and ran afoul of an earlier change I made in my httpd.conf on a CentOS 5.3 box. In essence I’d commented out mod_autoindex thinking this was necessary to get Apache::Gallery working and soon realized I’d completely hosed the system.

Fortunately I’m in the habit of making .bak copies of config files before I go mucking around with them.

Two lessons here:

1. Always make a backup copy of any existing configuration before changing anything. If you’re not sure exactly where the config lives, or if you’re dealing with a truckload of files, just tar the whole directory up. If you can, do everything in a virtual machine with liberal use of snapshots.

2. The Apache config that ships with Red Hat Enterprise Linux/CentOS comes with lots of really cool stuff turned on by default, and while in some ways elegant can also be … inscrutable. That’s not entirely Red Hat’s fault. Over the years Apache has grown more complex, while its documentation has become ever less comprehensible. As a result my advice is to change as little as possible. Only turn off features when you absolutely have to, and add nothing unless you really need it.

Copyright 2004-2019 Phil Lembo