[PATCH] mod_unique_id: Keep running w/ Broken DNS

[Paul Querna <ch...@force-elite.com>]

In #apache on FreeNode IRC, mod_unique_id is one of the most common
problems.  Thanks to some distributions (ahem. gentoo.), that commonly
do not configure DNS correctly, and enable mod_unique_id by default,
several times a day people come in saying apache will not start for
them.

I see three ways to solve this issue:
1) Make the error we spit out more verbose when DNS is broken.
2) Continue running, turning off mod_unique_id.
3) Complain to upstream vendors.(don't enable mod_unique_id by default!)

Most of the people with this problem have no reason to be running
mod_unique_id, but their distro has enabled it, so I believe the best
method is to spit out info about it in the error log, but to keep Apache
running.

The attached patch is a quick hack to let mod_unique_id disable itself
if the DNS resolution fails.  

No matter what is done, It would be nice to have some sort of change
into 2.0.50 before a release is made.

Thanks,

-Paul Querna

Re: [PATCH] mod_unique_id: Keep running w/ Broken DNS

[Nick Kew <ni...@webthing.com>]

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004, Paul Querna wrote:

> I see three ways to solve this issue:
> 1) Make the error we spit out more verbose when DNS is broken.

+1 on that.  Error message should suggest that luser disables the module.

> 2) Continue running, turning off mod_unique_id.

Violates KISS (slightly), and keeps the module loaded as deadweight.

> 3) Complain to upstream vendors.(don't enable mod_unique_id by default!)

Good idea, but we don't really control that unless we adopt DJB-style
licensing.

> No matter what is done, It would be nice to have some sort of change
> into 2.0.50 before a release is made.

Indeedie.

-- 
Nick Kew

Re: [PATCH] mod_unique_id: Keep running w/ Broken DNS

[Jeff Trawick <tr...@attglobal.net>]

Paul Querna wrote:
> In #apache on FreeNode IRC, mod_unique_id is one of the most common
> problems.  Thanks to some distributions (ahem. gentoo.), that commonly
> do not configure DNS correctly, and enable mod_unique_id by default,
> several times a day people come in saying apache will not start for
> them.
> 
> I see three ways to solve this issue:
> 1) Make the error we spit out more verbose when DNS is broken.
> 2) Continue running, turning off mod_unique_id.
> 3) Complain to upstream vendors.(don't enable mod_unique_id by default!)
> 
> Most of the people with this problem have no reason to be running
> mod_unique_id, but their distro has enabled it, so I believe the best
> method is to spit out info about it in the error log, but to keep Apache
> running.

writing to the error log isn't completely quiet, but could very well go 
unnoticed, which could then lead to applications failing, possibly much later 
than the server start/restart...

this matters not to somebody who doesn't need mod_unique_id in the first place, 
but more to people with reasonable if not failsafe DNS setup who hit a glitch 
at web server restart time

let folks decide which camp they are in when the server fails to start because 
some feature which has been enabled won't possibly work; maybe a discussion in 
the documentation and a pointer to it in the error message would be the right 
solution

(learning to yank an unnecessary module or fix system DNS setup are both 
reasonable chores)