SYNOPSIS

dh_apache2 [debhelper options] [--conditional=expression] [--error-handler=function] [-n|--noscripts]
    [-e|--noenable] [-r|--restart]

DESCRIPTION

dh_apache2 is a debhelper program that is responsible for correctly installing Apache2 configuration snippets and setting postinst, prerm and dependencies in Apache2 web server modules and web applications.

It supports the following configuration types

• Apache2 modules
• Apache2 configuration snippets for web applications
• Apache2 sites

dh_apache2 supports two modes: A limited auto-configuration heuristic or alternatively a configuration file driven approach. If a file named debian/package.apache2 exists, actual actions are determined by that file.

OPERATION MODES

dh_apache2 can be used in two modes: A configuration file driven approach and a heuristic approach. The configuration driven mode is fully documented in the FILES section below. This mode is activated by supplying a debhelper(7) configuration file (e.g. debian/package.apache2).

The alternative is a heuristic mode, in which no files are installed through dh_apache2. Instead the helper will scan the package installation directory for recognized files and guess their purpose depending on their installation path in the file system. Use with caution.

INVOCATION

dh_apache2 is not part of debhelper and might require information available in the apache2-dev package. Packages making use of dh_apache2 should declare a build-dependency against the virtual dh-apache2 package.

dh_apache2 supports both, called directly from a debian/rules file or as dh(1) addon. In the former case the helper should run after dh_install(1) or their respective counter parts in local implementations at earliest. Alternatively it can be used as dh addon by invoking it with

  %:
     dh $@ --with apache2

FILES

debian/package.apache2

debian/apache2

Lists files to be registered with the Apache 2 HTTP server. The file is interpreted as line separated list of installation stanzas, where each entry consists of whitespace separated values conforming to the file semantics below.

FILE SEMANTICS

Each line consists of a triple

type file [arguments]

where the values are interpreted as follows:

type

Denotes the type of file to be installed. Recognized values are conf for Apache2 global configuration snippets, site for virtual host configurations and mod for Apache2 modules.

file

Is interpreted as existing file name within the source package. No path expansion is effectuated. Just like dh_install(1), dh_apache2 can not rename files.

arguments

Is inrerpreted as optional arguments if any, currently used by conf stanzas only

GLOBAL CONFIGURATION FILES

Global configuration files (determined by the conf type) must have a .conf suffix and are installed to /etc/apache2/conf-available. Moreover, the configuration is activated in the maintainer script at installation time.

Such global configuration snippets are supposed to be used by web applications. Such stanzas accept an optional third arguments which is interpreted as dependency line of alternative web servers the package supports. See EXAMPLES below.

dh_apache2 will set dependencies in ${misc:Recommends} accordingly when this type of configuration is found. Alternatives from the optional argument is incorporated into this dependency line.

SITE CONFIGURATION FILES

Site configuration files (determined by the site type) must have a .conf suffix and are installed to /etc/apache2/sites-available. Moreover, the configuration is activated in the maintainer script at installation time.

Such global configuration snippets are supposed to be used by web applications and third party packages which install virtual host configurations. This type of configuration sets the same dependencies as configuration files.

MODULES

Modules are handled specially and are determined by the mod type. Modules can either have a .conf or .load suffix. In that case the file is interpreted as module load file or module configuration file respectively and is nstalled to /etc/apache2/mods-available. If the file is ending with a .so suffix it is interpreted as actual module shared object and is installed to the Apache module directory. Moreover, if a .load file is installed the configuration is activated in the maintainer script at installation time.

A typical module configuration has two lines, one for the .load file, and one for the .so file, albeit the latter could be installed by upstream's makefile, too.

dh_apache2 will set dependencies in ${misc:Depends} accordingly when this type of configuration is found.

OPTIONS

--error-handler=function

Call the named shell function if running the maintainer script fails. The function should be provided in the prerm and postinst scripts, before the #DEBHELPER# token.

--conditional=function

Only execute maintainer scripts if the named shell function evaluates to a true value at installation time. This is useful to web applications which want to install Apache configuration files depending on a user input, for example if they interface to the user through debconf(1).

The defaults is to always execute the scripts. The named function should be provided in the prerm, postrm and postinst scripts, before the #DEBHELPER# token.

--restart -r

In maintainer scripts, do not try to reload the web server, but restart it. Otherwise the default action is used, which means global configuration and sites make the web server to be reloaded on success, modules are restarted.

-e, --noenable

Install maintainer scripts accordingly, but do not enable the scripts or configuration by default.

-n, --noscripts

Do not modify postinst/postrm/prerm maintainer scripts.

NOTES

Note that this command is not idempotent. dh_prep(1) should be called between invocations of this command. Otherwise, it may cause multiple instances of the same text to be added to maintainer scripts.

EXAMPLES

The examples below lists valid entries for a debian/package.apache2 file. For example, the two lines below install a fictional mod_foo Apache module along a Debian specific .load file:

 mod src/foo/mod_foo.so
 mod debian/foo.load

The example below installs a fictional web application called phpmyfoo supplied in a package which also supports Lighttpd and nginx:

 conf debian/phpmyfoo.conf lighttpd (>= 1.4.30) | nginx-full

Or, the same example again this time without support for other web servers:

 conf debian/phpmyfoo.conf

As a final example, install a module called mod_foo along with a site configuration for a fictional site configuration for the site example.com:

 mod  src/foo/mod_foo.so
 mod  debian/foo.load
 mod  debian/foo.conf
 site debian/example_com.conf

AUTHOR

This manual and dh_apache2 was written by Arno Toell <[email protected]>.