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      | Related Modules mod_mime | Related Directives AccessConfig <IfDefine> Include ResourceConfig TypesConfig | 
Apache is configured by placing directives in plain text
    configuration files. The main configuration file is usually
    called httpd.conf. The location of this file is
    set at compile-time, but may be overridden with the
    -f command line flag. Some sites also have
    srm.conf and access.conf files for historical
    reasons. In addition, other configuration files may be
    added using the Include directive. Any
    directive may be placed in any of these configuration files.
    Changes to the main configuration files are only recognized by
    Apache when it is started or restarted.
New with Apache 1.3.13 is a feature where if any configuration file is actually a directory, Apache will enter that directory and parse any files (and subdirectories) found there as configuration files. One possible use for this would be to add VirtualHosts by creating small configuration files for each host, and placing them in such a configuration directory. Thus, you can add or remove VirtualHosts without editing any files at all, simply adding or deleting them. This makes automating such processes much easier.
The server also reads a file containing mime document types;
    the filename is set by the TypesConfig directive,
    and is mime.types by default.
Apache configuration files contain one directive per line. The back-slash "\" may be used as the last character on a line to indicate that the directive continues onto the next line. There must be no other characters or white space between the back-slash and the end of the line.
Directives in the configuration files are case-insensitive, but arguments to directives are often case sensitive. Lines which begin with the hash character "#" are considered comments, and are ignored. Comments may not be included on a line after a configuration directive. Blank lines and white space occurring before a directive are ignored, so you may indent directives for clarity.
You can check your configuration files for syntax errors
    without starting the server by using apachectl
    configtest or the -t command line
    option.
| Related Modules mod_so | Related Directives AddModule ClearModuleList <IfModule> LoadModule | 
Apache is a modular server. This implies that only the most basic functionality is included in the core server. Extended features are available through modules which can be loaded into Apache. By default, a base set of modules is included in the server at compile-time. If the server is compiled to use dynamically loaded modules, then modules can be compiled separately and added at any time using the LoadModule directive. Otherwise, Apache must be recompiled to add or remove modules. Configuration directives may be included conditional on a presence of a particular module by enclosing them in an <IfModule> block.
To see which modules are currently compiled into the server,
    you can use the -l command line option.
| Related Directives <Directory> <DirectoryMatch> <Files> <FilesMatch> <Location> <LocationMatch> <VirtualHost> | 
Directives placed in the main configuration files apply to
    the entire server. If you wish to change the configuration for
    only a part of the server, you can scope your directives by
    placing them in <Directory>, <DirectoryMatch>,
    <Files>, <FilesMatch>, <Location>, and
    <LocationMatch>
    sections. These sections limit the application of the
    directives which they enclose to particular filesystem
    locations or URLs. They can also be nested, allowing for very
    fine grained configuration.
Apache has the capability to serve many different websites
    simultaneously. This is called Virtual
    Hosting. Directives can also be scoped by placing them
    inside <VirtualHost>
    sections, so that they will only apply to requests for a
    particular website.
Although most directives can be placed in any of these sections, some directives do not make sense in some contexts. For example, directives controlling process creation can only be placed in the main server context. To find which directives can be placed in which sections, check the Context of the directive. For further information, we provide details on How Directory, Location and Files sections work.
| Related Directives AccessFileName AllowOverride | 
Apache allows for decentralized management of configuration
    via special files placed inside the web tree. The special files
    are usually called .htaccess, but any name can be
    specified in the AccessFileName
    directive. Directives placed in .htaccess files
    apply to the directory where you place the file, and all
    sub-directories. The .htaccess files follow the
    same syntax as the main configuration files. Since
    .htaccess files are read on every request, changes
    made in these files take immediate effect.
To find which directives can be placed in
    .htaccess files, check the Context of the
    directive. The server administrator further controls what
    directives may be placed in .htaccess files by
    configuring the AllowOverride
    directive in the main configuration files.
For more information on .htaccess files, see
    Ken Coar's tutorial on 
    Using .htaccess Files with Apache, or the .htaccess
    tutorial in the Apache docs.
