config/6959: User directive must come before VirtualHost directive when specifying a named virtual host

[Doug Baber <do...@yahoo.com>]

>Number:         6959
>Category:       config
>Synopsis:       User directive must come before VirtualHost directive when specifying a named virtual host
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    apache
>State:          open
>Quarter:        
>Keywords:       
>Date-Required:
>Class:          doc-bug
>Submitter-Id:   apache
>Arrival-Date:   Mon Dec 11 20:40:00 PST 2000
>Closed-Date:
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     douglas_va@yahoo.com
>Release:        Apache/1.3.9 (NetRevolution Advanced Extranet Server/Linux-Mandrake)
>Organization:
apache
>Environment:
Linux angi 2.2.14-15mdk #1 Tue Jan 4 22:24:20 CET 2000 i586 unknown

This is perl, version 5.005_03 built for i386-linux
>Description:
When configuring a named virtual host, the User directive must be specified before the VirtualHost directive, or a User directive must be included within the VirtualHost directive.  I was configuring a virtual named virtual host.  The host served web pages fine, but had a problem when executing a perl cgi script.  The error messages below is what was generated in the ScriptLog.  

%stderr
[Mon Dec 11 21:47:12 2000] [error] [client 192.168.1.2] (2)No such file or directory: getpwuid: invalid userid -1
[Mon Dec 11 21:47:12 2000] [error] (2)No such file or directory: exec of /home/httpd/jec/dev/cgi-bin/test.pl failed

The getpwuid error seemed to indicate that it couldn't find the user name in the /etc/passwd file.  I'm assuming it was trying to use a null user name to run the CGI program.  Once I moved the User directive above the VirtualHost directive, it knew which user to run the CGI script as, and it worked fine.  It also worked when I left the User directive after the VirtualHost directive, but put a User entry within the VirtualHost section.
>How-To-Repeat:
Set up an httpd.conf file with the above scenario and run the test.pl script that comes with Apache.
>Fix:
Add information to the documentation about this issue.
>Release-Note:
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted:
 [In order for any reply to be added to the PR database, you need]
 [to include <ap...@Apache.Org> in the Cc line and make sure the]
 [subject line starts with the report component and number, with ]
 [or without any 'Re:' prefixes (such as "general/1098:" or      ]
 ["Re: general/1098:").  If the subject doesn't match this       ]
 [pattern, your message will be misfiled and ignored.  The       ]
 ["apbugs" address is not added to the Cc line of messages from  ]
 [the database automatically because of the potential for mail   ]
 [loops.  If you do not include this Cc, your reply may be ig-   ]
 [nored unless you are responding to an explicit request from a  ]
 [developer.  Reply only with text; DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS!     ]