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Posted to cvs@httpd.apache.org by rb...@apache.org on 2010/03/11 15:17:41 UTC
svn commit: r921860 - /httpd/httpd/trunk/docs/manual/suexec.xml
Author: rbowen
Date: Thu Mar 11 14:17:41 2010
New Revision: 921860
URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?rev=921860&view=rev
Log:
This is part of the attempt to purge the use of 'Apache' to mean 'Apache
HTTP Server' or 'httpd'. However, in the process, has come to light that
it seems that this document is *WAY* overdue for a major rewrite.
Modified:
httpd/httpd/trunk/docs/manual/suexec.xml
Modified: httpd/httpd/trunk/docs/manual/suexec.xml
URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc/httpd/httpd/trunk/docs/manual/suexec.xml?rev=921860&r1=921859&r2=921860&view=diff
==============================================================================
--- httpd/httpd/trunk/docs/manual/suexec.xml (original)
+++ httpd/httpd/trunk/docs/manual/suexec.xml Thu Mar 11 14:17:41 2010
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
<title>suEXEC Support</title>
<summary>
- <p>The <strong>suEXEC</strong> feature provides
- Apache users the ability
+ <p>The <strong>suEXEC</strong> feature provides users of the Apache
+ HTTP Server the ability
to run <strong>CGI</strong> and <strong>SSI</strong> programs
under user IDs different from the user ID of the calling
web server. Normally, when a CGI or SSI program executes, it
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@
<section id="before"><title>Before we begin</title>
<p>Before jumping head-first into this document,
- you should be aware of the assumptions made on the part of the
- Apache Group and this document.</p>
+ you should be aware that certain assumptions are made about you and
+ the environment in which you will be using suexec.</p>
<p>First, it is assumed that you are using a UNIX
derivative operating system that is capable of
@@ -71,11 +71,11 @@
security risks. It is <strong>highly</strong> recommended you
not alter the suEXEC code unless you are well versed in the
particulars of security programming and are willing to share
- your work with the Apache Group for consideration.</p>
+ your work with the Apache HTTP Server development team for consideration.</p>
<p>Fourth, and last, it has been the decision of
- the Apache Group to <strong>NOT</strong> make suEXEC part of
- the default installation of Apache. To this end, suEXEC
+ the Apache HTTP Server development team to <strong>NOT</strong> make suEXEC part of
+ the default installation of Apache htpd. To this end, suEXEC
configuration requires of the administrator careful attention
to details. After due consideration has been given to the
various settings for suEXEC, the administrator may install
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@
these settings need to be carefully determined and specified by
the administrator to properly maintain system security during
the use of suEXEC functionality. It is through this detailed
- process that the Apache Group hopes to limit suEXEC
+ process that we hope to limit suEXEC
installation only to those who are careful and determined
enough to use it.</p>
@@ -99,11 +99,11 @@
taken to ensure your system's security.</p>
<p><strong>suEXEC</strong> is based on a setuid
- "wrapper" program that is called by the main Apache web server.
+ "wrapper" program that is called by the main Apache HTTP Server.
This wrapper is called when an HTTP request is made for a CGI
or SSI program that the administrator has designated to run as
a userid other than that of the main server. When such a
- request is made, Apache provides the suEXEC wrapper with the
+ request is made, Apache httpd provides the suEXEC wrapper with the
program's name and the user and group IDs under which the
program is to execute.</p>
@@ -130,10 +130,10 @@
<p class="indent">
The wrapper will only execute if it is given the proper
number of arguments. The proper argument format is known
- to the Apache web server. If the wrapper is not receiving
+ to the Apache HTTP Server. If the wrapper is not receiving
the proper number of arguments, it is either being
hacked, or there is something wrong with the suEXEC
- portion of your Apache binary.
+ portion of your Apache httpd binary.
</p>
</li>
@@ -244,8 +244,7 @@
</li>
<li>
- <strong>Is the directory within the Apache
- webspace?</strong>
+ <strong>Is the directory within the httpd webspace?</strong>
<p class="indent">
If the request is for a regular portion of the server, is
@@ -370,7 +369,7 @@
<dt><code>--with-suexec-caller=<em>UID</em></code></dt>
<dd>The <a href="mod/mpm_common.html#user">username</a> under which
- Apache normally runs. This is the only user allowed to
+ httpd normally runs. This is the only user allowed to
execute this program.</dd>
<dt><code>--with-suexec-userdir=<em>DIR</em></code></dt>
@@ -395,7 +394,7 @@
<dt><code>--with-suexec-docroot=<em>DIR</em></code></dt>
- <dd>Define as the DocumentRoot set for Apache. This will be
+ <dd>Define as the DocumentRoot set for httpd. This will be
the only hierarchy (aside from <directive module="mod_userdir"
>UserDir</directive>s) that can be used for suEXEC behavior. The
default directory is the <code>--datadir</code> value with the suffix
@@ -436,7 +435,7 @@
<p>If you have enabled the suEXEC feature with the
<code>--enable-suexec</code> option the <code>suexec</code> binary
- (together with Apache itself) is automatically built if you execute
+ (together with httpd itself) is automatically built if you execute
the <code>make</code> command.</p>
<p>After all components have been built you can execute the
@@ -462,7 +461,7 @@
always the possibility that a system or library call suEXEC uses
before this check may be exploitable on your system. To counter
this, and because it is best-practise in general, you should use
- filesystem permissions to ensure that only the group Apache
+ filesystem permissions to ensure that only the group httpd
runs as may execute suEXEC.</p>
<p>If for example, your web server is configured to run as:</p>
@@ -480,7 +479,7 @@
chmod 4750 /usr/local/apache2/bin/suexec<br />
</example>
- <p>This will ensure that only the group Apache runs as can even
+ <p>This will ensure that only the group httpd runs as can even
execute the suEXEC wrapper.</p>
</section>
</section>
@@ -489,10 +488,10 @@
<section id="enable"><title>Enabling & Disabling
suEXEC</title>
- <p>Upon startup of Apache, it looks for the file
+ <p>Upon startup of httpd, it looks for the file
<program>suexec</program> in the directory defined by the
<code>--sbindir</code> option (default is
- "/usr/local/apache/sbin/suexec"). If Apache finds a properly
+ "/usr/local/apache/sbin/suexec"). If httpd finds a properly
configured suEXEC wrapper, it will print the following message
to the error log:</p>
@@ -505,11 +504,11 @@
it, or the executable is not installed <em>setuid root</em>.</p>
<p>If you want to enable the suEXEC mechanism for the first time
- and an Apache server is already running you must kill and
- restart Apache. Restarting it with a simple HUP or USR1 signal
+ and an Apache HTTP Server is already running you must kill and
+ restart httpd. Restarting it with a simple HUP or USR1 signal
will not be enough. </p>
<p>If you want to disable suEXEC you should kill and restart
- Apache after you have removed the <program>suexec</program> file.</p>
+ httpd after you have removed the <program>suexec</program> file.</p>
</section>
<section id="usage"><title>Using suEXEC</title>
@@ -556,7 +555,7 @@
<p><strong>NOTE!</strong> This section may not be
complete. For the latest revision of this section of the
- documentation, see the Apache Group's <a
+ documentation, see the <a
href="http://httpd.apache.org/docs/&httpd.docs;/suexec.html">Online
Documentation</a> version.</p>
@@ -576,7 +575,7 @@
virtual host requests, or one top-level personal document
root for userdir requests. For example, if you have four
VirtualHosts configured, you would need to structure all
- of your VHosts' document roots off of one main Apache
+ of your VHosts' document roots off of one main httpd
document hierarchy to take advantage of suEXEC for
VirtualHosts. (Example forthcoming.)
</p>