Weirdness with httpd.conf files (httpd 1.3.26 on a unix host)

[Ian Stuart <Ia...@ed.ac.uk>]

OK, can anyone explain the *why* for this oddity:
Why can the httpd.conf file switch a server to (/not/ include) another
httpd.conf file?

To elucidate:
I was trouble-shooting two servers on a host: a primary server on port
8080, and a secondary one on 8081. They are physically different
servers, located in different directories.

The primary started fine, however the secondary would barf - complaining
that port 8080 was in use.

Searching all the files in the secondary httpd directory tree ('grep 808
*/*'), the only occurances of the string '8080' is in the error log
file.

The (secondary) httpd binary has the correct paths built in, and
renaming 'httpd.conf' to 'httpd.xxx' causes the server to barf -
complaining about a lack of config file. Thus proving that the
httpd.conf file is DEFINATELY the one being loaded by the binary.

I happened to notice that the ServerRoot line in the (secondary servers)
httpd.conf file was miss-configured, and was defining the ServerRoot
directory as the one for the primary server. I corrected this, and the
secondary server started no problems.

SO - why does the ServerRoot setting within the httpd.conf file cause
the server to drop the file (ie, the one that it's currently reading)
and load annother one? Particularly as the .conf file is (a) hardwired
into the binary, and (b) can be redefined via a command-line option.

Yours, seeking enlightenment, etc...

-- 
--==++
Ian Stuart: Edinburgh University Data Library.

Information is not knowledge
Knowledge is not wisdom
Wisdom is not truth
Truth is not beauty
Beauty is not love
Love is not music
              -- Mary.

 Personal web site: http://lucas.ucs.ed.ac.uk/ 


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