How to add proxy modules to Apache22 on FreeBSD 6.3

[John Almberg]

I have just spent the whole day trying to figure out how to enable  
mod_proxy, mod_proxy_http, and mod_proxy_balancer in Apache22 on  
FreeBSD 6.3. As I was writing up the question, I figured it out  
(isn't that so often the case?) It was stupidly simple, so perhaps  
this email will save someone else from a wasted day...

This has always worked in the past for me, but didn't work on my new  
6.3 machine (despite the instructions in the Makefiles):

cd /usr/ports/www/apache22
make clean
make WITH_CUSTOM_PROXY="proxy proxy_http proxy_balancer"
make deinstall
make reinstall

I tried every make variation possible. I tried putting my options in  
make.conf. I changed the Makefile.options. But nothing worked... no  
matter what I tried, Apache always complied without the new proxy  
modules. Oh, and I wore out Google searching for help. Every example  
showed something like the above, with an occasional sentence like  
'with FreeBSD you don't run ./configure'.

Well, actually, you do... sort of...

Here's the answer you've been googling for. Do this:

cd /usr/ports/www/apache22
make configure

A nice menu will pop up, with all the current options selected. Just  
scroll down and click the modules you want, save, then continue as  
above.

Of course, you still need to add the modules to httpd.conf:

LoadModule proxy_module libexec/apache22/mod_proxy.so
LoadModule proxy_http_module libexec/apache22/mod_proxy_http.so
LoadModule proxy_balancer_module libexec/apache22/mod_proxy_balancer.so

Restart apache and you are ready to go!

Wow! I wish I'd found this email sooner!

-- John


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