Is there anything even slightly non-standard about the Apache settings required for Moodle?
For example, while other software may be able to operate as a user, is it (or is it not) the case that moodle needs to use "become" to operate as root?
This is I believe, what our systems administrator believes.
Looking on the net, become probably refers to this, mod_become
http://www.snert.com/Software/mod_become/index.shtml
Apparently other software does not need to use become and runs as a user other than root.
Tim
In reply to Timothy Takemoto
Re: Standard Apache Settings? mod_become and "as root"
by Timothy Takemoto -
Comparing what my system administrator said and the documentation I reference above it would seem that my system administrator thinks that
BecomeRoot true
Is required for moodle to run when BecomeRoot is by default false.
This seems very unlikely. I did not have to set up anthing special on my sever. Indeed, looking in the apache configuration file of my server, there is not one instance of "become" let alone becomeroot.
In reply to Timothy Takemoto
Re: Standard Apache Settings? mod_become and "as root"
by Janne Mikkonen -
Hi Timothy,
"Is there anything even slightly non-standard about the Apache settings required for Moodle?"
No there isn't.
Don't know where your sysadmin get that kind of idea???
- Janne -
"Is there anything even slightly non-standard about the Apache settings required for Moodle?"
No there isn't.
Don't know where your sysadmin get that kind of idea???
- Janne -
In reply to Janne Mikkonen
Re: Standard Apache Settings? mod_become and "as root"
by Timothy Takemoto -
I am not sure either. He seemed quite convinced. I just tried putting
BecomeRoot false
into my Apache settings and this caused no problems at all.
Perhaps he is wrong about the lack of support for "basic authentication" too.
Tim
In reply to Timothy Takemoto
Re: Standard Apache Settings? mod_become and "as root"
by Timothy Takemoto -
But thinking about it...
It seems strange that the system administrator, who seems to be a very clever guy should be so specific about what is required to run moodle and yet incorrect.
So it occurs to me that perhaps
BecomeRoot true
may needed in *our particular case*, as a result of the way that our servers are set up.
I think that my university is using a load sharing (Free BSD based) server array.
As a result of the use of this sort of array, perhaps, session data is usually lost. I seem to remember being told that this was the case.
I.e. that there are perhaps a number of machines, and these provide services as virtual hosts, in that the same URL may be served by an undetermined physical machine. In this case, perhaps, the apache settings may need to be such that so as not to loose the session data, php needs to execute as root.
Of course one might suggest that they stop using the server array that they are using, and set things up in a different way. Or provide a seperate server for Moodle (which was his suggestion).
But before I say something which may be rather trivial (like "I don't need to set BecomeRoot true on my server," "yeah sure...") has anyone heard of server arrays of this type, wherein is is essential to set "BecomeRoot true"?
Tim