mod_perl.c

server techs run in fear

[idiotgirl]

It looks like the solution to a lot of my problems (bandwidth theft, unwanted visits from bad bots, htaccess rewrite cond's) would be easily remedied if I could get mod_perl installed on my box. Up to this point I've gone about as far as I can, I think, with modifying my htaccess files and bot detection/redirect scripts. But that's all kind of a 'vanilla' solution, and is not really taking care of the larger problem. I'm looking for a 'global' solution.

I checked with the server techs and they tell me mod_perl is not installed by default, and it might take an act of Congress to implement it.

I'm curious, from the ground up, has anyone else experienced installing mod_perl.c? If so, did it blow out your existing cgi's? Anything I need to be expecially aware of or look out for when installing it (if they'll do it)? I read about how it might cause your existing cgis to behave badly, or blow them up, without a lot of re-scripting. That is enough to concern me right there. I don't know how much of my life I want to dedicate rewriting existing scripts... and have them not work in the meantime.

Any words of advice are appreciated from those with experience. Thanks.

[littleman]

Installing mod_rewrite isn't simple. There are steps to be done in apache and with the perl interpretor. Depending on how it is set up you could still have your regular cgi script will still work fine with the old perl interpretor.

One thing, mod_perl scripts need to be written very tightly. If you have code that bleeds at all it could bring your server down. Sloppy code will still work with regular cgi scripts, but the compounding cache affect of mod_perl has no room for errors.

That said, mod_perl is fantastic. Studies have shown that mod_perl scripts will actually execute faster than C.

[idiotgirl]

thanks, littleman... and I suppose the acid test is when everything crashes you go back to the drawing board. uh-oh :(

But, if, as you say: Depending on how it is set up you could still have your regular cgi script will still work fine with the old perl interpretor... THEN my old stuff might not need any changes to continue working IF the rest of the mod_perl install went okay. Is that correct?

Well, maybe what I really need is mod_rewrite for now. Do you know if mod_perl.c has to be installed before mod_rewrite? That would give me alot more power than the basic functions of htaccess, which is what I have now. I don't think mod_rewrite is installed because I did some rewrite conditions via simple htaccess and briefly blew out my sub-domains (and quickly changed back!).

I hope I'm not getting into a situation with my server techs of the blind leading the blind, which is why I'm asking those here with all the practical experience. I can do quite a bit - but I'm the first to admit I've never installed Apache or Perl from the ground up and there's a lot to learn.

[littleman]

>THEN my old stuff might not need any changes to continue working IF the rest of the mod_peal install went okay. Is that correct?
yeah, if it is set up right. You could have .pl be mod_rewrite scripts and .cgi be regular old perl.

>Do you know if mod_perl.c has to be installed before mod_rewrite?
Nope mod_rewrite is completely independent of mod_perl.

What are you trying to do?

[idiotgirl]

thanks, littleman. I want to use some of the features of mod_perl for integration of templates and more complex routines for redirects and matching.

I think my immediate problems can be fixed with mod_rewrite to get rid of some of the rif-raff that drops by to visit. Think I'll get that handled first, then focus on mod_perl again.