Install necessary dependency tools and libraries, such as GCC, make, APR, APR-Util, PCRE and OpenSSL; 2. Download the Apache HTTP Server source code and decompress; 3. If the system APR version is too low, you need to manually download and move it into Apache's srclib directory; 4. Configure the compilation options, specify the installation path, enable key modules, and use built-in APR; 5. Execute make and make install to complete the compilation and installation; 6. Start the Apache service and use curl or browser to verify the default page; 7. Optionally create the systemd service file for system-level management; finally get a customizable Apache server suitable for development or learning environments, and needs to be manually upgraded.

Installing Apache (officially known as the Apache HTTP Server) from source gives you full control over the features, modules, and installation path. Here's a step-by-step guide to compile and install Apache from source on a Unix-like system (eg, Linux).

1. Install Prerequisites

Before compiling Apache, you need several tools and libraries:

• GCC compiler and make
• APR (Apache Portable Runtime) and APR-Util
• PCRE (Perl Compatible Regular Expressions)
• OpenSSL (if you want HTTPS support)

On Debian/Ubuntu:

 sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential libpcre3-dev libssl-dev

On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora:

 sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools"
sudo yum install pcre-devel openssl-devel
# Or on newer versions with dnf:
# sudo dnf install @development-tools pcre-devel openssl-devel

2. Download Apache Source Code

Go to the Apache HTTP Server download page and get the latest stable version.

Example:

 cd /tmp
wget https://downloads.apache.org/httpd/httpd-2.4.61.tar.gz
tar -xvzf httpd-2.4.61.tar.gz
cd httpd-2.4.61

?? Note: Apache 2.4 requires APR and APR-Util to be at least version 1.4. If your system doesn't have them or has outdated versions, you must compile and install them manually.

3. Download and Install APR and APR-Util (if needed)

If your system lacks proper APR versions, download them:

 cd /tmp
wget https://downloads.apache.org/apr/apr-1.7.4.tar.gz
wget https://downloads.apache.org/apr/apr-util-1.6.3.tar.gz

tar -xvzf apr-1.7.4.tar.gz
tar -xvzf apr-util-1.6.3.tar.gz

# Move them into the Apache source srclib directory
mv apr-1.7.4 httpd-2.4.61/srclib/apr
mv apr-util-1.6.3 httpd-2.4.61/srclib/apr-util

4. Configure the Build

From the Apache source directory:

 cd httpd-2.4.61

Run configure with desired options. Common ones include:

 ./configure \
  --prefix=/usr/local/apache2 \
  --enable-so \
  --enable-ssl \
  --enable-rewrite \
  --with-included-apr \
  --with-included-apr-util \
  --enable-modules=most \
  --enable-mods-shared=all

Explanation:

• --prefix : Installation directory
• --enable-so : Allows loading modules at runtime
• --enable-ssl : Enables HTTPS support
• --enable-rewrite : Enables mod_rewrite
• --with-included-apr : Use bundled APR (if you copied them into srclib )
• --enable-mods-shared=all : Compiles most modules as shared objects (recommended)

If configure fails, check missing dependencies and install them.

5. Compile and Install

 Make
sudo make install

This compiles Apache and installs it to the directory specified in --prefix .

6. Test the Installation

Start Apache:

 sudo /usr/local/apache2/bin/apachectl start

Open a browser or use curl :

 curl http://localhost

You should see the default Apache test page or "It works!" message.

Check status:

 sudo /usr/local/apache2/bin/apachectl status

7. (Optional) Set Up as a Service

To manage Apache like a system service, create a systemd unit file:

 sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/apache2.service

Add the following (adjust paths if needed):

 [Unit]
Description=Apache HTTP Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
ExecStart=/usr/local/apache2/bin/apachectl start
ExecStop=/usr/local/apache2/bin/apachectl stop
ExecReload=/usr/local/apache2/bin/apachectl graceful
PIDFile=/usr/local/apache2/logs/httpd.pid
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Then enable and start:

 sudo systemctl daemon-reexec
sudo systemctl enable apache2
sudo systemctl start apache2

Common Issues

• Missing APR : Apache 2.4 won't build without APR. Either install via system package or embedded source in srclib .
• Port 80 Permission : Running on port 80 requires root or CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE . Use sudo or change port in httpd.conf .
• Configuration file : Localized at /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf . Edit to customize server behavior.

That's it. You now have Apache running from a source installation. It's flexible and ideal for custom settings, development, or learning. Just remember to manually update it when new versions are released.

Basically, compile once, use forever — until you need an upgrade.

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