Ubuntu Manpage: dh_apache2 - register configuration snippets to the Apache web server

Provided by: apache2-dev_2.4.58-1ubuntu8.7_amd64

NAME

       dh_apache2 - register configuration snippets to the Apache web server

SYNOPSIS

       dh_apache2 [debhelper options] [--conditional=expression] [--error-handler=function] [-n|--noscripts]
           [-e|--noenable] [-r|--restart]

DESCRIPTION

       dh_apache2 is a debhelper program that is responsible for correctly installing Apache2 configuration
       snippets and setting postinst, prerm and dependencies in Apache2 web server modules and web applications.

       It supports the following configuration types

       •   Apache2 modules

       •   Apache2 configuration snippets for web applications

       •   Apache2 sites

       dh_apache2  supports  two  modes: A limited auto-configuration heuristic or alternatively a configuration
       file driven approach. If a file named debian/package.apache2 exists, actual  actions  are  determined  by
       that file.

OPERATION MODES

       dh_apache2  can  be used in two modes: A configuration file driven approach and a heuristic approach. The
       configuration driven mode is fully documented in the FILES section  below.  This  mode  is  activated  by
       supplying a debhelper(7) configuration file (e.g. debian/package.apache2).

       The  alternative  is  a  heuristic  mode, in which no files are installed through dh_apache2. Instead the
       helper will scan the package  installation  directory  for  recognized  files  and  guess  their  purpose
       depending on their installation path in the file system. Use with caution.

INVOCATION

       dh_apache2  is  not part of debhelper and might require information available in the apache2-dev package.
       Packages making use of dh_apache2 should  declare  a  build-dependency  against  the  virtual  dh-apache2
       package.

       dh_apache2  supports both, called directly from a debian/rules file or as dh(1) addon. In the former case
       the helper should run after dh_install(1) or their respective counter parts in local  implementations  at
       earliest.  Alternatively it can be used as dh addon by invoking it with

         %:
            dh $@ --with apache2

FILES

debian/package.apache2
debian/apache2

Lists files to be registered with the Apache 2 HTTP server. The file is interpreted as line separated
list of installation stanzas, where each entry consists of whitespace separated values conforming to the
file semantics below.

FILE SEMANTICS
Each line consists of a triple

type file [arguments]

where the values are interpreted as follows:

type

Denotes the type of file to be installed. Recognized values are conf for Apache2 global configuration
snippets, site for virtual host configurations and mod for Apache2 modules.

file

Is interpreted as existing file name within the source package. No path expansion is effectuated. Just
like dh_install(1), dh_apache2 can not rename files.

arguments

Is inrerpreted as optional arguments if any, currently used by conf stanzas only

GLOBAL CONFIGURATION FILES
Global configuration files (determined by the conf type) must have a .conf suffix and are installed to
/etc/apache2/conf-available. Moreover, the configuration is activated in the maintainer script at
installation time.

Such global configuration snippets are supposed to be used by web applications. Such stanzas accept an
optional third arguments which is interpreted as dependency line of alternative web servers the package
supports. See EXAMPLES below.

dh_apache2 will set dependencies in ${misc:Recommends} accordingly when this type of configuration is
found. Alternatives from the optional argument is incorporated into this dependency line.

SITE CONFIGURATION FILES
Site configuration files (determined by the site type) must have a .conf suffix and are installed to
/etc/apache2/sites-available. Moreover, the configuration is activated in the maintainer script at
installation time.

Such global configuration snippets are supposed to be used by web applications and third party packages
which install virtual host configurations. This type of configuration sets the same dependencies as
configuration files.

MODULES
Modules are handled specially and are determined by the mod type. Modules can either have a .conf or
.load suffix. In that case the file is interpreted as module load file or module configuration file
respectively and is nstalled to /etc/apache2/mods-available. If the file is ending with a .so suffix it
is interpreted as actual module shared object and is installed to the Apache module directory. Moreover,
if a .load file is installed the configuration is activated in the maintainer script at installation
time.

A typical module configuration has two lines, one for the .load file, and one for the .so file, albeit
the latter could be installed by upstream's makefile, too.

dh_apache2 will set dependencies in ${misc:Depends} accordingly when this type of configuration is found.

OPTIONS

       --error-handler=function
           Call the named shell function if running the maintainer script fails. The function should be provided
           in the prerm and postinst scripts, before the #DEBHELPER# token.

       --conditional=function
           Only execute maintainer scripts if the named shell function evaluates to a true value at installation
           time. This is useful to web applications which want to install Apache configuration  files  depending
           on a user input, for example if they interface to the user through debconf(1).

           The  defaults  is  to always execute the scripts. The named function should be provided in the prerm,
           postrm and postinst scripts, before the #DEBHELPER# token.

       --restart -r
           In maintainer scripts, do not try to reload the web server, but restart it.   Otherwise  the  default
           action  is  used,  which  means  global configuration and sites make the web server to be reloaded on
           success, modules are restarted.

       -e, --noenable
           Install maintainer scripts accordingly, but do not enable the scripts or configuration by default.

       -n, --noscripts
           Do not modify postinst/postrm/prerm maintainer scripts.

NOTES

       Note that this command is not idempotent.  dh_prep(1)  should  be  called  between  invocations  of  this
       command. Otherwise, it may cause multiple instances of the same text to be added to maintainer scripts.

EXAMPLES

       The  examples  below  lists  valid  entries for a debian/package.apache2 file. For example, the two lines
       below install a fictional mod_foo Apache module along a Debian specific .load file:

        mod src/foo/mod_foo.so
        mod debian/foo.load

       The example below installs a fictional web application called phpmyfoo supplied in a package  which  also
       supports Lighttpd and nginx:

        conf debian/phpmyfoo.conf lighttpd (>= 1.4.30) | nginx-full

       Or, the same example again this time without support for other web servers:

        conf debian/phpmyfoo.conf

       As  a final example, install a module called mod_foo along with a site configuration for a fictional site
       configuration for the site example.com:

        mod  src/foo/mod_foo.so
        mod  debian/foo.load
        mod  debian/foo.conf
        site debian/example_com.conf

AUTHOR

       This manual and dh_apache2 was written by Arno Toell <debian@toell.net>.

perl v5.38.2                                       2025-07-14                                      DH_APACHE2(1)