INFO386 T1 2022 Workshop 2 Apache – Web ServerC/C++

Java Python INFO386 T1 2022

Workshop 2

Apache - Web Server

Getting Started

For this workshop you will need to connect to your Virtual machine. The instructions to do this are in workshop Guide 1. As in Guide 1, you will have to start your Virtual machine and connect via RDP. If the IP has changed, you will need to download a new RDP file. Once you’re within your Virtual machine, we can start setting up Apache. A reminder that we are now working exclusively within the VM, you shouldn’t be downloading any files to your main device, and any instructions that are specifically for outside of the VM, will explicitly say this.

Make sure, that you have already downloaded the files from last workshop:

•    C++ (VC_redist.x64)

•    Apache (httpd-2.4.46-win64-VS16.zip)

Setting up Apache

Unfortunately, the Apache download does not come with its own installation wizard, so we have to do some manual setup. This will start with unpacking Apache, moving it to the desired location, and installing it using command prompt.

Unpacking and moving Apache folders

First, find the Apache zip file. It should be in the downloads folder. This compressed folder can be extracted by selecting Compressed Folder Tools and extract all.

Figure 1: Apache zip file

The download folder works for our purposes so confirm the extract file location by selecting ‘extract’ . This may take sometime.

In the meantime, the default settings for Windows 10 hides some file extension names. It’sagood idea to make sure you can see these. To unhide these, use the windows search bar to find ‘ File Explorer Options’ as shown in Fig 2.

Figure 2: Folder options

You can then deselect hide extensions for known file types as shown in Fig 3. With this deselected, files like text documents will show .txt in their file names.

Figure 3: Hide extensions for known file types

Once the Apache extract is complete, we will be able to see three items including the folder Apache24 and a ReadMe text document as shown in Fig 4.

Figure 4: Extracted Apache files

While the ReadMe is useful, for our purposes we only care about the Apache24 folder. It contains the  actual code to run Apache. However, the configured location for Apache is in the C:\ drive root folder. As such, right click and select ‘copy’ on the Apache24 folder shown in Fig 5.

Figure 5: Copying Apache24

With the Apache24 file copied, navigate to the C:\ root folder by entering C:\ (Highlighted in Fig 6) to the navigation bar and hitting enter.

Figure 6: Navigating to the C:\ root folder

Once in the C:\ drive root folder, you can paste the folder by right clicking and selecting paste. With Apache24 added, the root folder should look like Fig 7.

Figure 7: C:\ Root drive with Apache24

Now that the Apache24 folder is in the right place, we can start examining the contents. Double clicking on the folder should reveal a whole host of files and text documents as shown in Fig 8.

Figure 8: Apache24 folder contents

Installing Apache

While the folders are in place, Apache is not yet functional. We can prove this by simply visiting the local version of your website via localhost/in your web browser. Doing so will produce the error “Hmmm … can’treach this page” as in Fig 9.

Figure 9: Can’t yet reach localhost executing code.

Later, once we have completed our setup, visiting localhost will allow us to view the page that will be served over the internet by Apache.

With all the files in the right location, we can start with running command prompt as an administrator as shown in Fig 10.

Figure 10: Running Command Prompt

The command prompt acts as a terminal or shell. We can use it to input commands to perform advanced administrative functions. Make sure to run it as an administrator. You may have used it before, but if not, the opening screen should look like Fig 11.

Figure 11: Command Prompt

Command line provides a lot of options. We want to use it to run an installation within the folders we moved before. However, the default directory for command prompt is not that folder. We can test this by inputting the command “ DIR/w” (Directory in the wide format) into the command prompt. This shows the content of the current folder (Fig 12). As you can see, the contents of this folder are just the default set for our Windows 10 Image. Note that the administrator username will be different.

Figure 12: Default directory

We can use the CD command followed by the desired directory& INFO386 T1 2022 Workshop 2 Apache – Web ServerC/C++ nbsp;to change directory. In this case, the desired directory is C:\Apache24\bin . We can once again check this by inputting the command DIR to show the directory. This time it should contain a number of files, starting with ab.exe and ending with zlib1.dll as shown in Fig 13a.

Figure 13a: Apache24 bin directory

In this folder we want to run the install for httpd.exe, so we input the command “ httpd.exe -k install” as shown in Fig 13b. Windows Defender Firewall will also block some of the functionality for Apache, so we will need to allow access as shown in figure 14.

Figure 13b: httpd.exe -k install

Figure 14: Windows Defender Firewall

Allowing access will complete the install. However, it won’t give any confirmation. To test if it worked, we will first need to start Apache.

This can be done with the command “ httpd.exe -k start” as shown in Fig 15.

Figure 15: Starting Apache

Once again, this won’t give any indication of system status. However, we can check localhost to see if the website is now working.

If the install worked properly, this should now give the ‘It works!’ website as in Fig 16.

Figure 16: Localhost with Apache

With this done, Apache is now set up and it can respond to any requests it receives. You can now close the command prompt.

Altering the website

The website setup by Apache is very primitive, containing only the header “It works!” . We can improve this by going to the Apache24 folder (in the C Drive) and into the htdocs folder as shown in Fig 17.

Figure 17: Navigating to htdocs

Inside the htdocs folder, you can now see the ‘index.html’ file. This is the website Apache served up at localhost. If you installed a text editor, you can open it using that. Otherwise, you can edit it with

Notepad by right clicking and selecting open with.

Figure 18 Opening index.html with notepad

Then select ‘Choose another app’ as in Fig 18 and  ‘ More options’ and ‘Notepad’ as in Fig 19.

Figure 19: More apps and Notepad

As you can see in notepad or your text editor of choice, the html code for the website is extremely basic.

You can change this as desired, but for the guide we will add a title to the page by adding “

” to the html as in Fig 20.

Figure 20: Editing index.html

With this code, your localhost should now include the title for the tab as in Fig 21.

Figure 21: Working html title

Starting and stopping apache

Previously, we started Apache from the command prompt. While we could start and stop Apache from command prompt, Apache also has an optional ApacheMonitor.exe file in the bin file as shown in Fig   22.

Figure 22: Sending ApacheMonitor.exe to desktop

We can create a shortcut on the desktop to open this more easily later. Once you have, double click to run the file. This will produce an alert as Microsoft Defender blocks the application. To allow it, click

‘ More info’ and ‘ Run anyway’ as in Fig 23.

Figure 23: Allowing ApacheMonitor.exe

With it given permission to run, we can now see it amongst the hidden icons as shown in Fig 24. From here, we can start, stop, and restart our Apache server.

Figure 24: Using ApacheMonitor.exe

You can then use the functions on the right of the Service Monitor to start and stop your server.

Figure 24b: Start and stop your server

With this done, you can manage Apache as needed within your Virtual machine. However, due to the network settings of the Virtual machine it is not yet accessible from the internet.

Note that the website is only accessible when your Virtual machine is on and your web server has been started in ApacheMonitor.exe.

Next week, we will build the database layer of the stack and work on some PHP. Don’tforget the workshop quiz available at the end of the week.

Challenges

You can also attempt the following challenges:

•     With our current network settings, command prompt cannot ping the Virtual machine. Find out why and change the network settings to allow it to be pinged.

•     Using a combination of HTML, CSS, and optionally JavaScript, create a website

celebrating a hobby of yours in the htdocs file. You may have to refresh yourself on this viahttps://www.w3schools.com/

If you created a website for the previous guide, you can use that as well