apache-python-server

Table of Contents

• Quick start for Windows, either 32-bit or 64-bit
  • To install Apache Server
  • To install Python and run through Apache Server
  • To run a Flask application using Apache module "mod_wsgi"
• Full installation for Windows, either 32-bit or 64-bit
  • To install Apache Server
  • To install Python and run through Apache Server
  • To run a Flask application using Apache module "mod_wsgi"
• Full installation for Ubuntu Linux via SSH terminal
  • To install Apache Server
  • To install Python and run through Apache Server
  • To run a Flask application using Apache module "mod_wsgi"

Quick start for Windows, either 32-bit or 64-bit

Note this will install a 32-bit version of Apache, if you'd like a 64-bit version, please see the next section below. Also note, if you have issues making the below instructions work, you may want to try the Full Installation method below.

Also note, this has only been tested on Windows Server 2012, but should work on Windows 10 and other Windows versions.

To install Apache Server

1. Unzip Git file /Windows/Apache24.zip to your C:\ directory
2. Open command prompt, run the following:
   1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k start
3. Open browser, go to http://localhost:82
4. You should see a page saying "Hello from Apache Server!"
5. Extras
   1. To debug, look at logs in your C:\Apache24\logs directory
   2. To restart the Apache server after you've made a change, run the following command:
      1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k restart
   3. To stop the Apache server, run the following command:
      1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k stop
   4. To install Apache, meaning it will be added as an automatically starting Windows service, run the following command in an Admin command prompt:
      1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k install

To install Python and run through Apache Server

1. Install a 32-bit version of Python, I used version 3.7, but other versions should work as well. Make sure to map to PATH variables in installation
2. Edit the top line of file C:\Apache24\htdocs\testcgi.py to your Python installation directory, for example for me it was:
   1. #!C:\Program Files (x86)\Python37-32\python.exe
3. Restart Apache, then go to http://localhost:80/testcgi.py and you should see a page saying "Hello from Python!"

To run a Flask application using Apache module "mod_wsgi"

1. Open C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf in a text editor. Add the following code underneath the line with text Listen localhost:82

   <VirtualHost localhost:82>
   ServerAdmin domains@domain1.com
   WSGIScriptAlias / "C:/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi/web.wsgi"
   WSGIApplicationGroup %{GLOBAL}
   DocumentRoot C:/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi
   <Directory "C:/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi/">
   Options +Indexes +Includes +FollowSymLinks +MultiViews +ExecCGI
   Require all granted   
   </Directory>
   CustomLog C:/Apache24/logs/access.log common
   ErrorLog C:/Apache24/logs/error.log
   </VirtualHost>
   

2. Install these Python packages that are being used by this test website, by running command prompt commands:
   1. pip install flask
   2. pip install numpy
   3. pip install pandas
   4. pip install plotly
3. Restart Apache, then go to http://localhost:82/ and you should see a page saying "Welcome to the Flask application!" which will look like this:
   1. 
4. And you'll be able to test various features on this page:
   1. 

Full installation for Windows, either 32-bit or 64-bit

Note, this has only been tested on Windows Server 2012, but should work on Windows 10 and other Windows versions.

To install Apache Server

1. Download Apache server from Git directory /Windows/full_installation/httpd-2.4.35-win32-VC15.zip or from https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/platform/windows.html
2. Unzip contents into C:\Apache24 directory such that the htdocs directory is located here: C:\Apache24\htdocs
3. Open command prompt, run the following:
   1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k start
4. Open browser, go to http://localhost:80
5. You should see a page saying "It works!"
6. Extras
   1. To debug, look at logs in your C:\Apache24\logs directory
   2. A common issue here is that port 80 is already being used. Running netstat -an in the command prompt will tell you what ports are in use. You may want to try changing the Listen 80 port in file C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf to something else
   3. To restart the Apache server after you've made a change, run the following command:
      1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k restart
   4. To stop the Apache server, run the following command:
      1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k stop
   5. To install Apache, meaning it will be added as an automatically starting Windows service, run the following command in an Admin command prompt:
      1. "C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe" -k install

To install Python and run through Apache Server

1. Install a 32-bit version of Python, I used version 3.7, but other versions should work as well. Make sure to map to PATH variables in the installation
2. Copy Git file /Windows/full_installation/testcgi.py to C:\Apache24\htdocs\. Edit the top line of file to your Python installation directory, for example for me it was:
   1. #!C:\Program Files (x86)\Python37-32\python.exe
3. Edit file C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf
   1. Find this line: Options Indexes FollowSymLinks and replace it with this: Options Indexes FollowSymLinks ExecCGI
   2. Find this line: #AddHandler cgi-script .cgi and replace it with this: AddHandler cgi-script .cgi .py
4. Restart Apache, then go to http://localhost:82/testcgi.py and you should see a page saying "Hello from Python!"

To run a Flask application using Apache module "mod_wsgi"

1. Copy Git files /Windows/full_installation/htdocs_wsgi/app.py and /Windows/full_installation/htdocs_wsgi/web.wsgi to your directory C:\Apache24\htdocs_wsgi\
2. Open an Administrator command prompt, and navigate to folder C:\Apache24\modules
3. Run command pip install mod_wsgi then run command mod_wsgi-express module-config which will create a module file in this directory. For me this was named mod_wsgi.pyd and its contents will depend on your Windows/Python versions. Also in the C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf file, Add the following code underneath the line with text LoadModule ... (in the LoadModule section)
   1. LoadModule wsgi_module modules/mod_wsgi.pyd
4. Also in the C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf file, add the following code underneath the line with text Listen 80

   <VirtualHost localhost:80>
   ServerAdmin domains@domain1.com
   WSGIScriptAlias / "C:/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi/web.wsgi"
   WSGIApplicationGroup %{GLOBAL}
   DocumentRoot C:/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi
   <Directory "C:/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi/">
   Options +Indexes +Includes +FollowSymLinks +MultiViews +ExecCGI
   Require all granted   
   </Directory>
   CustomLog C:/Apache24/logs/access.log common
   ErrorLog C:/Apache24/logs/error.log
   </VirtualHost>
   

5. Install this Python package that is being used by this test website, by running command:
   1. pip install flask
6. Restart Apache, then go to http://localhost:80/ and you should see a page saying "Hello from Flask!" that will look like this:
   1. 
7. If you'd like to test a fully formatted example website, do the following:
   1. Delete contents of C:\Apache24\htdocs_wsgi and copy in contents of Git directory /Windows/Apache24/htdocs_wsgi
   2. Install these Python packages, by running command prompt commands:
      1. pip install numpy
      2. pip install pandas
      3. pip install plotly
8. Restart Apache, then go to http://localhost:80/ and you should see a sample webpage that looks like this:
   1. 
9. And you'll be able to test various features on this page:
   1. 

Full installation for Ubuntu Linux via SSH terminal

Coming soon!