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Question

I have an application running at http://localhost:6512 and a virtual host definition as follows:

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerName ldpmarmotta.example.com
        ProxyPassMatch ^/(.*)$ http://localhost:6512/marmotta/$1
</VirtualHost>

I am getting two problems with the above definition:

All traffic to this server including http://example.com is being directed to http://localhost:6512
A request to ldpmarmotta.example.com is being directed to http://localhost:6512. I was not expecting the URL to change but the response to return on ldpmarmotta.example.com

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 01 '18 at 20:51

You say: "I have an application running at http://localhost:6512" but in the context of your question (and of this very answer), it would be better to say:

I'm running an HTTP daemon listening on port 6512; let's call it my_daemon. Please note that it's not Apache; it's another application;

Also, you say: "[...] a virtual host definition as follows...", and again, it would be better to say:

I'm also running Apache, configured to listen on port 80 (and obviously NOT listening on port 6512) and with a single VirtualHost defined. Specifically, the VirtualHost defined below [....]

Having said the above (BTW: Am I right? If not, please add comments), you say to have two problems.

As for the first one:

All traffic to this server including http://example.com is being directed to http://localhost:6512

I would say that IF the hostname example.com resolve to one of the IP addresses of the host running Apache, THEN this is an expected behaviour as:

the HTTP request generated by launching "http://example.com" is received by Apache (as it's listening on port 80 of the related IP address);
as there is NOT an explicitely defined VirtualHost with ServerName example.com....
...Apache will serve the request via the first VirtualHost defined. And...
as the first virtual-host is "your" one, then the HTTP request is "proxyed" to my_daemon and...
as such, my_daemon will receive the HTTP request.

So, again, I don't see the problem.

Again, if I'm wrong with some assumptions, please, let me know.

As for your second "problem", I see that it covers two distinct points. First one is:

A request to ldpmarmotta.example.com is being directed to http://localhost:6512

and, again, this look to me as an expected behaviour, as it's exactly what you configured in your virtual-host.

Second point is:

I was not expecting the URL to change but the response to return on ldpmarmotta.example.com

I'm not 100% sure of what exactly you're trying to describe but... if I take out my (dusty) crystal-ball, I bet you're facing problems with ProxyPassing: you have your own HTTP daemon running (my_daemon) but you don't want to expose it directly to the Internet. So you put a standard Apache in front of it and... kindly ask Apache to ProxyPass HTTP requests back-and-forth the Internet and your daemon. In such a scenario.... you simply have to rely on ProxyPass AND ProxyPassReverse.

Something like:

ProxyPass / http://localhost:6512/marmotta/
ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:6512/marmotta/

(BTW: you used ProxyPassMatch but as the REGEX you defined it's matching... everything, than it's acting exactly like a standard ProxyPass. Hence, I suggest to use the latter, as it's slightly more efficient and more readable).

As for ProxyPass/ProxyPassReverse detailed usage.... the web it's literally FULL of detailed tutorial/articles so.... it will be easy, for you, to get deeper to details :-)

HTH.

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1 Answers1