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 Topic: Newbie question about hosts file and VirtualHost |
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stardustvega
Joined: 28 Feb 2023
Posts: 11
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 Posted: Fri 31 May '24 13:19 Post subject: Newbie question about hosts file and VirtualHost |
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I'm just getting started with learning Apache by playing around using it as a local development environment on my Windows 11 machine and trying out different directives.
I've been googling around but I haven't gotten a clear answer on this.
If you want to use a URL for your local site (e.g. mysite.test instead of 127.0.0.1), I see that you can do that using VirtualHost and also editing the hosts file. I've got it working using that method.
My question is, do you HAVE to edit the hosts file to get this to work in Windows, or is there a different way to do it using the configuration settings in Apache, or maybe a module?
I see in the notes on the virtual hosts documentation:
| Quote: | | Creating virtual host configurations on your Apache server does not magically cause DNS entries to be created for those host names. You must have the names in DNS, resolving to your IP address, or nobody else will be able to see your web site. You can put entries in your hosts file for local testing, but that will work only from the machine with those hosts entries. |
It's just not clear to me if this is saying 'one way to handle this in your local environment is to use the hosts file' or if it's saying 'the only way to handle this in your local environment is to use the hosts file'. |
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James Blond
Moderator
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 7334
Location: Germany, Next to Hamburg
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| Posted: Fri 31 May '24 14:59 Post subject: |
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You have to edit the HOSTS file if you have no external DNS server. It is not Apache, but the Windows OS that resolves the DNS name.
I use vhosts like test1.local.apachehaus.de since all *.local.apachehaus.de point to 127.0.0.1  |
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stardustvega
Joined: 28 Feb 2023
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Sat 01 Jun '24 0:21 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | It is not Apache, but the Windows OS that resolves the DNS name. |
Ah, perfect, thank you. I could not seem to find the right combination of search terms to get to that answer.
| Quote: | | I use vhosts like test1.local.apachehaus.de since all *.local.apachehaus.de point to 127.0.0.1 |
Oh, I didn't think of that, thank you! I had gotten it working by using two entries in my hosts file; I wasn't thinking about using wildcards. |
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stardustvega
Joined: 28 Feb 2023
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Tue 04 Jun '24 14:05 Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I use vhosts like test1.local.apachehaus.de since all *.local.apachehaus.de point to 127.0.0.1 |
Hrm. Are you taking about being able to use a wildcard in the hosts file, or are you referring to having your own convention where you just know you're going to name all of your hosts by that style?
I can't get wildcards to work in my hosts file and doing some googling around suggests that it doesn't work (at least on Windows).[/quote] |
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James Blond
Moderator
Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 7334
Location: Germany, Next to Hamburg
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| Posted: Wed 05 Jun '24 12:57 Post subject: |
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In the hosts file you can't have a wild card.
I have DNS Server and an A record .local.apachehaus.de point to 127.0.0.1 |
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