[users@httpd] Apache 2 installation issues

[Bob Eby <be...@leveltwo.com>]

The apache2.0 installer can't successfully install a default apache
service if port 80 is not available during installation.  This is true
whether a default .msi install is done, or whether apache.exe is invoked
at the command line.  

I can see no reason for this user-unfriendly behaviour, especially
during .msi installation.

After encountering this problem myself on a stock Win2k machine (which
I'd forgotten to down IIS services for) I searched the bug database to
see what was being done.  Bug #14382 at
http://nagoya.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=14382 was very
interesting.

The initial bug seemed to be someone who wasn't aware of this issue,
trying to install and getting no service.  The response pointed out
after fixing a port problem, the following command could be used to
install the service:  "bin\apache -k install -n Apache2".


What is the root problem here?

1) The .msi installer for apache 2.0 can't install the apache service if
port 80 is already locked during installation.  Further, the error
reporting is marginal at best in this situation(30 second dialog), and
recovery is "extremely lacking".  At the very least, it would seem
appropriate to address this in the .msi installer and/or associated
distributables.  

2) The command "bin\apache -k install -n Apache2" won't install the
apache service if port 80 is already open for listening.  Perhaps this
is all well and good, but I have to wonder exactly why the process can't
be installed anyway.  Whether it works or not would seem to be an issue
for when the service is actually started.  (Yes, I should always run at
the command line before installing the service, but I still don't see
how that applies to this marginal failing in user-friendliness for win
NT/2K/XP users)

-Bob
beby@leveltwo.com

P.S. - Perhaps I should have put this in a bug report, but the FAQ said
to contact the community first...


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