Apache is a web server, that has it's roots in the CERN web server, but naturally has come a long way since those early days. It is the most widely used web server on the Internet today, and it is unlikely that much will topple it from that position in the near future. It's widespread use can, in some part, be attributed to the ease with which it can be integrated with content technologies like Zope, databases like MySQL and PostgreSQL and others (including Oracle and DB2) and the speed and versatility offered by Web rapid application development (RAD) languages like Personal Home Page (PHP). It is highly configurable, flexible and most importantly, it is open. This had lead to a host of development support on and around Apache. External modules such as mod_rewrite, mod_perl and mod_php have added fist-fulls of functionality as well as improved the speed with which these requests can be serviced. It has, in no small part, played a role in the acceptance of the Linux platform in corporate organizations.

In this module, we will learn how to configure and optimize Apache to serve web pages - it's primary function (although by no means it's only use). We will also learn how to write some simple CGI scripts for use in generating interactive web pages. But enough. Let's dive right in.