Apache :: Trying to create a stand alone "Sandbox" Apache en

jLinux · Joined: 03 Oct 2015 Posts: 1 Location: United States

I hope I'm posting this in the right category...

So, long story short, I have a Web based PHP application that id like to distribute, and id like the preferred installation be the PHP application running on its own instance of Apache and PHP.

I want this for a few reasons...

Support - If they use this "Package" I can support them 100%
To make it easier for those who dont know how to work with Linux servers or how to install Apache/PHP, or how to manage them
So that it will be in its own environment, not in same service with other "websites" or applications

I know a great deal of Linux (Mostly RHEL/CentOS), and I'm pretty well experienced with Apache and PHP (Both from the server side and development standpoints)

The question I have is basically... Whats the best way to go about doing this? Has anyone here tried it before? I couldn't find any decent tutorials online, so I thought id try here. Im not sure if "Sandbox environment" is the proper term, but thats what was said to me. Im just trying to find the best way to get a "soloed" instance of apache setup. Is the best way basically just to tear into the RPM file for whatever apache version I want, and see what it does? Then customize the install so it puts all the files in a different/separate/consolidated location, then modify all the config/files accordingly? (init, httpd.conf, php.ini, etc etc) Or is there a preferred/documented way to do this?

James Blond

At least Apache can be installed into /opt folder. I do that myself see https://github.com/JBlond/debian_build_apache24/tree/redhat

I'm not so sure about other packages like PHP and MySQL ( if needed) but you might ask the guys from xampp how they create that package.

For sure an eviroment can be done by let apache listen on a different port and limit the access to internal IP's.

However it might be more useful just to create a vhost in the default apache installation which is supported and updated by the vendor.

maba · Joined: 05 Feb 2012 Posts: 64 Location: Germany, Heilbronn

Another option would be the use of a docker container. You would install docker on the Linux host.

You could then just supply the docker image that would be self contained.

It also gives some additional security as you don't have to expose any of the usual network ports. You would just expose port 80 which is a command line option to docker.