[HCoop-Discuss] domtool and rewrite rules.

[Nathan Kennedy]

Steve Johnson wrote:
>> You might look at the setups of people who use apache proxyes.
>>
>> In the meantime, we might take on Adam's thread of introducing
>> changes to support this more straightforwardly.
>>     
>
> I think a standard rewrite option should be supported.   Trust your
> users to do the right thing, do just assume they will take down the
> server every change they get.  I've been a network admin for 13 years
> now, and never have run into a NEXT loop in a rewrite rule.  But hey
> thats me.
>   
I think you meant "don't just assume" there.  I definitely agree with 
your experience as a network admin, but that is different from running a 
service like shared hosting with a facility for users directly editing 
Apache settings.

We have had problems with users taking down the server multiple times, 
when we a third of the size that we are now, due to runaway scripts.  
The bigger we get and the more users sharing a single Apache daemon, the 
more chance there is for malformed directives if we allow them.  At the 
same time, the greater the consequences of this kind of borkage become.

I'm not an apache admin but I've been here all along and I know that our 
admins try hard to accomodate every need and to prevent disasters.  
Please don't assume Davor was being flippant in suggesting that you ask 
for help earlier.  In the "real world" I don't know of any hosts that 
offer shared apache hosting with custom directives, free support, and 
our prices either.  Nobody's getting rich off of this--nobody is even 
getting paid.  :-)

I suggest you try the workarounds suggested--you can always run your own 
webserver with mod_proxy.  Another option you won't typically find on 
low-end commercial Linux shell webhosts.

-ntk