Test Apache Config before Restarting

Apache Web Server LogoIt is not unexpected that you may have to reconfigure your Apache configuration for many of the various configuraiton options it allows for. The problem is how can you do this without actually breaking anything in the interm until you’re sure the configuration will load properly If you’ve made changes to your Apache Web Server configuration and want to simulate how it will handle the next time the service is restarted, use this command in order to simulate Apache loading the configuration file. With this output, you will be able to Continue Reading

Full MX Record List for Google Apps Hosted Email

When setting up your own domain name for Google Apps or Google Hosted Email service, Google only provides you with 5 MX records and values. It turns out, they have 3 more for a total of 8.

Here are the MX records and their recommended Priority values to use for your domain name in the format of priority, and value. Make sure to include the Continue Reading

Automatically Redirect All WWW to Non-WWW for Multiple Domains

This guide is for how to automatically remove www from a domain name, or multiple domain names.
If you want to add WWW, read this guide titled Automatically redirect non-www requests to www for all URLs and All Domains.

The below code will enable you to remove WWW for one domain, multiple domains, or all domains. It is generic enough that you just install it in your domains root folder for a singular domain, or the parent folder above multiple domain names if you want it to apply to all domains hosted in child folders (for shared hosting scenarios).

Insert the below code into a text file. Save the file as htaccess.txt, and upload it to your domains folder. Once there, rename it to “.htaccess” without quotes. If you need help on this, read the applicable instructions in my other post Automatically redirect non-www requests to www for all URLs and All Domains.

Options +FollowSymlinks
RewriteEngine On

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://%1/$1 [R=301,L]

RewriteCond %{HTTPS} on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.(.*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%1/$1 [R=301,L]

Adobe Flash Player for Mozilla FireFox Does Not Send Referrers

Flash falls flat on it's face in Mozilla FirefoxAdobe Flash Player addon for Mozilla Firefox does not send HTTP referrers.

This is a public notification for web developers, something I discovered, tested and confirmed across multiple platforms and reproduced multiple times.

Behavior Observed: Adobe Flash Player addon for Mozilla Firefox does not send HTTP referrers.
This was discovered when Continue Reading

Restarting Apache without killing active connections

Changes to Apache web server’s configuration typically warrant a necessary immediate restart of the Apache. This is necessary in order for the new configuration changes to take effect due to the way Apace loads configuration settings at start-up.

Examples of changes which would warrant a restart in order to take immediate effect would be changing (adding or removing) an IP address, modifying the maximum connections limit, installing or uninstalling module files, changing virtual host configurations, and the list goes on, etc.

What is a Graceful Restart, and Why Bother Restarting Apache Gracefully?

Chances are you are already aware that the above situations would require a restart of Apache. The question that needs to be answered is “Why restart with the graceful command rather than the standard restart command. Continue Reading