NAME

       apxs - APache eXtenSion tool

SYNOPSIS

       apxs -g [ -S name=value ] -n modname

       apxs -q [ -v ] [ -S name=value ] query ...

       apxs  -c  [ -S name=value ] [ -o dsofile ] [ -I incdir ] [ -D name=value ] [ -L libdir ] [ -l libname ] [
       -Wc,compiler-flags ] [ -Wl,linker-flags ] files ...

       apxs -i [ -S name=value ] [ -n modname ] [ -a ] [ -A ] dso-file ...

       apxs -e [ -S name=value ] [ -n modname ] [ -a ] [ -A ] dso-file ...

SUMMARY

       apxs is a tool for building and installing extension modules for the Apache HyperText  Transfer  Protocol
       (HTTP)  server.  This  is  achieved  by building a dynamic shared object (DSO) from one or more source or
       object files which then can be loaded into the Apache server under runtime via the  LoadModule  directive
       from mod_so.

       So  to  use  this  extension mechanism your platform has to support the DSO feature and your Apache httpd
       binary has to be built with the mod_so module. The apxs tool automatically complains if this is  not  the
       case. You can check this yourself by manually running the command

             $ httpd -l

       The  module  mod_so  should  be  part  of the displayed list. If these requirements are fulfilled you can
       easily extend your Apache server's functionality by installing your own modules with the DSO mechanism by
       the help of this apxs tool:

             $ apxs -i -a -c mod_foo.c
             gcc -fpic -DSHARED_MODULE -I/path/to/apache/include -c mod_foo.c
             ld -Bshareable -o mod_foo.so mod_foo.o
             cp mod_foo.so /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo.so
             chmod 755 /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo.so
             [activating module `foo' in /path/to/apache/etc/httpd.conf]
             $ apachectl restart
             /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd not running, trying to start
             [Tue Mar 31 11:27:55 1998] [debug] mod_so.c(303): loaded module foo_module
             /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd started
             $ _

       The arguments files can be any C source file (.c), a object file (.o) or even a library archive (.a). The
       apxs tool automatically recognizes these extensions  and  automatically  used  the  C  source  files  for
       compilation while just using the object and archive files for the linking phase. But when using such pre-
       compiled objects make sure they are compiled for position independent code (PIC) to be able to  use  them
       for  a  dynamically  loaded  shared  object. For instance with GCC you always just have to use -fpic. For
       other C compilers consult its manual page or at watch for the flags  apxs  uses  to  compile  the  object
       files.

       For  more  details  about DSO support in Apache read the documentation of mod_so or perhaps even read the
       src/modules/standard/mod_so.c source file.

OPTIONS

   Common Options
       -n modname
              This explicitly sets the module name for the -i (install) and -g (template generation) option. Use
              this to explicitly specify the module name. For option -g this is required, for option -i the apxs
              tool tries to determine the name from the source or (as a fallback) at least by guessing  it  from
              the filename.

   Query Options
       -q     Performs  a query for variables and environment settings used to build httpd. When invoked without
              query parameters, it prints all known variables  and  their  values.  The  optional  -v  parameter
              formats  the list output. .PP Use this to manually determine settings used to build the httpd that
              will load your module. For instance use INC=-I`apxs -q INCLUDEDIR` .PP inside your  own  Makefiles
              if you need manual access to Apache's C header files.

   Configuration Options
       -S name=value
              This option changes the apxs settings described above.

   Template Generation Options
       -g     This  generates  a  subdirectory  name (see option -n) and there two files: A sample module source
              file named mod_name.c which can be used as a template for creating your own modules or as a  quick
              start  for playing with the apxs mechanism. And a corresponding Makefile for even easier build and
              installing of this module.

   DSO Compilation Options
       -c     This indicates the compilation operation. It first compiles the C source files (.c) of files  into
              corresponding  object files (.o) and then builds a dynamically shared object in dsofile by linking
              these object files plus the remaining object files (.o and .a)  of  files.  If  no  -o  option  is
              specified the output file is guessed from the first filename in files and thus usually defaults to
              mod_name.so.

       -o dsofile
              Explicitly specifies the filename of the created dynamically shared object. If not  specified  and
              the name cannot be guessed from the files list, the fallback name mod_unknown.so is used.

       -D name=value
              This  option  is  directly  passed through to the compilation command(s). Use this to add your own
              defines to the build process.

       -I incdir
              This option is directly passed through to the compilation command(s). Use this  to  add  your  own
              include directories to search to the build process.

       -L libdir
              This  option  is  directly  passed through to the linker command. Use this to add your own library
              directories to search to the build process.

       -l libname
              This option is directly passed through to the linker command. Use this to add your  own  libraries
              to search to the build process.

       -Wc,compiler-flags
              This  option  passes compiler-flags as additional flags to the libtool --mode=compile command. Use
              this to add local compiler-specific options.

       -Wl,linker-flags
              This option passes linker-flags as additional flags to the libtool --mode=link command.  Use  this
              to add local linker-specific options.

       -p     This  option causes apxs to link against the apr/apr-util libraries. This is useful when compiling
              helper programs that use the apr/apr-util libraries.

   DSO Installation and Configuration Options
       -i     This indicates the installation operation and installs one or more dynamically shared objects into
              the server's modules directory.

       -a     This  activates  the  module  by  automatically adding a corresponding LoadModule line to Apache's
              httpd.conf configuration file, or by enabling it if it already exists.

       -A     Same as option -a but the created LoadModule directive is prefixed with a hash sign (#), i.e., the
              module is just prepared for later activation but initially disabled.

       -e     This  indicates  the  editing operation, which can be used with the -a and -A options similarly to
              the -i operation to edit Apache's httpd.conf configuration file without attempting to install  the
              module.

EXAMPLES

       Assume  you  have  an  Apache  module  named  mod_foo.c  available  which  should  extend Apache's server
       functionality. To accomplish this you first have to compile the C source into a  shared  object  suitable
       for loading into the Apache server under runtime via the following command:

             $ apxs -c mod_foo.c
             /path/to/libtool --mode=compile gcc ... -c mod_foo.c
             /path/to/libtool --mode=link gcc ... -o mod_foo.la mod_foo.slo
             $ _

       Then you have to update the Apache configuration by making sure a LoadModule directive is present to load
       this shared object. To simplify this step apxs provides an automatic way to install the shared object  in
       its "modules" directory and updating the httpd.conf file accordingly. This can be achieved by running:

             $ apxs -i -a mod_foo.la
             /path/to/instdso.sh mod_foo.la /path/to/apache/modules
             /path/to/libtool --mode=install cp mod_foo.la /path/to/apache/modules
             ...
             chmod 755 /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo.so
             [activating module `foo' in /path/to/apache/conf/httpd.conf]
             $ _

       This way a line named

             LoadModule foo_module modules/mod_foo.so

       is  added  to  the configuration file if still not present. If you want to have this disabled per default
       use the -A option, i.e.

             $ apxs -i -A mod_foo.c

       For a quick test of  the  apxs  mechanism  you  can  create  a  sample  Apache  module  template  plus  a
       corresponding Makefile via:

             $ apxs -g -n foo
             Creating [DIR]  foo
             Creating [FILE] foo/Makefile
             Creating [FILE] foo/modules.mk
             Creating [FILE] foo/mod_foo.c
             Creating [FILE] foo/.deps
             $ _

       Then  you  can  immediately  compile  this sample module into a shared object and load it into the Apache
       server:

             $ cd foo
             $ make all reload
             apxs -c mod_foo.c
             /path/to/libtool --mode=compile gcc ... -c mod_foo.c
             /path/to/libtool --mode=link gcc ... -o mod_foo.la mod_foo.slo
             apxs -i -a -n "foo" mod_foo.la
             /path/to/instdso.sh mod_foo.la /path/to/apache/modules
             /path/to/libtool --mode=install cp mod_foo.la /path/to/apache/modules
             ...
             chmod 755 /path/to/apache/modules/mod_foo.so
             [activating module `foo' in /path/to/apache/conf/httpd.conf]
             apachectl restart
             /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd not running, trying to start
             [Tue Mar 31 11:27:55 1998] [debug] mod_so.c(303): loaded module foo_module
             /path/to/apache/sbin/apachectl restart: httpd started
             $ _