$Revision: 1.3 $ ($Date: 1999/12/31 23:11:17 $)
The latest version of this FAQ is always available from the main Apache web site, at <http://www.apache.org/docs/misc/FAQ.html>.
If you are reading a text-only version of this FAQ, you may find numbers enclosed in brackets (such as "[12]"). These refer to the list of reference URLs to be found at the end of the document. These references do not appear, and are not needed, for the hypertext version.
Apache was originally based on code and ideas found in the most popular HTTP server of the time.. NCSA httpd 1.3 (early 1995). It has since evolved into a far superior system which can rival (and probably surpass) almost any other UNIX based HTTP server in terms of functionality, efficiency and speed.
Since it began, it has been completely rewritten, and includes many new features. Apache is, as of January 1997, the most popular WWW server on the Internet, according to the Netcraft Survey.
To address the concerns of a group of WWW providers and part-time httpd programmers that httpd didn't behave as they wanted it to behave. Apache is an entirely volunteer effort, completely funded by its members, not by commercial sales.
We, of course, owe a great debt to NCSA and their programmers for making the server Apache was based on. We now, however, have our own server, and our project is mostly our own. The Apache Project is an entirely independent venture.
A cute name which stuck. Apache is "A PAtCHy server". It was based on some existing code and a series of "patch files".
For many developers it is also a reverant connotation to the Native American Indian tribe of Apache, well-known for their superior skills in warfare strategy and inexhaustible endurance. Online information about the Apache Nation is tough to locate; we suggest searching Google, Northernlight, Infoseek, or AllTheWeb.
In addition, http://www.indian.org/ and http://www.nativeweb.com/ are two excellent resources for Native American information.
For an independent assessment, see Web Compare's comparison chart.
Apache has been shown to be substantially faster than many other free servers. Although certain commercial servers have claimed to surpass Apache's speed (it has not been demonstrated that any of these "benchmarks" are a good way of measuring WWW server speed at any rate), we feel that it is better to have a mostly-fast free server than an extremely-fast server that costs thousands of dollars. Apache is run on sites that get millions of hits per day, and they have experienced no performance difficulties.
Apache is run on over 3 million Internet servers (as of June 1999). It has been tested thoroughly by both developers and users. The Apache Group maintains rigorous standards before releasing new versions of their server, and our server runs without a hitch on over one half of all WWW servers available on the Internet. When bugs do show up, we release patches and new versions as soon as they are available.
The Apache project's web site includes a page with a partial list of sites running Apache.
There is no official support for Apache. None of the developers want to be swamped by a flood of trivial questions that can be resolved elsewhere. Bug reports and suggestions should be sent via the bug report page. Other questions should be directed to the comp.infosystems.www.servers.unix or comp.infosystems.www.servers.ms-windows newsgroup (as appropriate for the platform you use), where some of the Apache team lurk, in the company of many other httpd gurus who should be able to help.
Commercial support for Apache is, however, available from a number of third parties.
Indeed there is. See the main Apache web site. There is also a regular electronic publication called Apache Week available. Links to relevant Apache Week articles are included below where appropriate. There are also some Apache-specific books available.
You can find out how to download the source for Apache at the project's main web page.