Adding and Compiling a new module in Apache Web Server

The following steps are required for adding up a new module (DSO) to the Apache Web Server:

If you have your own module, you can add it to the "httpd.conf" file, so that it is compiled in and loaded as a DSO (Dynamic Shared Objects).

For the successful compilation of the shared module, please check the installation of the "apache-devel" package because it installs the include files, the header files and the Apache eXtenSion (APXS) support tools.

APXS uses LoadModule directive from the mod_so module.

Steps to Proceed:
1. Download the required module tarball from the internet using wget command to the /tmp directory of the server.

2. Untar the tarball: cd into that directory and issue the following commands :

$ /path/to/apxs -c mod_foo.c
$ /path/to/apxs -i -a -n foo mod_foo.so


-c = It indicates the compilation operation. It first compiles the C source files (.c) of files into the corresponding object files (.o) and then builds a dynamically shared objects by linking these objects files to remaining object files.

-i = It indicates the installation operation and installs one or more dynamically shared objects into the server's modules directory.

-a = It activates the module by automatically adding a corresponding LoadModule line to Apache's httpd.conf configuration file, or by enabling it if it already exists

-n= It explicitly sets the module name for the -i (install) and -g (template generation) option. Use this to explicitly specify the module name

Then edit the "httpd.conf" file and add the following lines in the respective sections for loading the module whenever Apache restart.

(taking example of compiled module mod_foo)

LoadModule mod_foo modules/mod_foo.so

AddModule mod_foo.c

Once this is done, we need to restart the Apache Web Server.