[FGS] Ideas for configuring apache to use MapServer

[Tyler Mitchell]

> I too am nervous about a script that modifies apache conf, especially since
> we're running on a test server that has a production apache setup running
> :)
>
> I'd love to see us try out a stand-alone web server just for this project.
> Anyway ideas?

After reviewing my Apache book, I'm wondering about two other options that 
appear to not require you to change the main apache conf file.  I'm not clear 
on these though I think they would benefit from discussing with someone else 
who does know.

One option appears to be to use a server-side include to define 
<< <!-- #exec cgi="path to cgi app" --> >>
in, for example, an shtml file.  An then doing the same to set a "cmd" 
parameter.  I'm not sure how flexible this is, but they say you "can have a 
CGI script executed without having to bother with AddHandler, SetHandler, or 
ExecCGI".  The latter is I think what we are after.  This is from p305 of 
Apache: definitive guide, from O'Reilly, 3rd edition.

The other option appears to be to use an .htaccess file in the folder, instead 
of adding a bunch to the server conf file.  .htaccess gets read on request 
(increasing processing overhead) but looks like it may be used to set ExecCGI 
for the folder.

If there are any Apache gurus online, please pipe up.  I'm just guessing on 
these :)

Tyler