Very Computer

Stupid question I know, but I have a need for this. How do you get
Apache (1.2.4 for Linux) to load if you just have a dial-up account
with dynamically assigned IP addresses? It keeps complaining with:

httpd: cannot determine local host name.
Use ServerName to set it manually.

Why does it need the local host name, what is it used for, and how do
I get around this without using dyn.ml.org (which I'd really prefer
not to do) or setting up a bogus address in, say, 10.0.0.0/24 and
running a local DNS server (real headache, and 20-lb/44-kg
sledgehammer on the*roach type solution, but saves some effort if
I start a LAN later)? I'm going to run a fairly simple server, mainly
for testing purposes and to show people on IRC things real quick
without having to go FTP it to the real web server at my ISP.

--

http://www.veryComputer.com/~skquinn/ and visit a bunch of bogus e-mail addresses
at http://www.veryComputer.com/~skquinn/spamsucks.html (latter to foil robots)

You don't.  To function properly, the web server needs to know your
hostname.  For example, if someone requests "http://server/foo" and
foo is a directory, Apache needs the server name to send in the
redirect to "http://server/foo/".  

If you don't mind all redirects sent by your server failing horrible,
including when people miss a trailing '/' on a directory, then
just set ServerName to localhost or something and it should
mostly work.

Quote:>Stupid question I know, but I have a need for this. How do you get
>Apache (1.2.4 for Linux) to load if you just have a dial-up account
>with dynamically assigned IP addresses? It keeps complaining with:
>httpd: cannot determine local host name.
>Use ServerName to set it manually.
>Why does it need the local host name, what is it used for, and how do
>I get around this without using dyn.ml.org (which I'd really prefer
>not to do) or setting up a bogus address in, say, 10.0.0.0/24 and
>running a local DNS server (real headache, and 20-lb/44-kg
>sledgehammer on the*roach type solution, but saves some effort if
>I start a LAN later)? I'm going to run a fairly simple server, mainly
>for testing purposes and to show people on IRC things real quick
>without having to go FTP it to the real web server at my ISP.