Installing Apache HTTP Server on Alpine Linux: Complete Web Server Setup Guide

I’ll show you how to install and configure Apache HTTP Server on Alpine Linux. This creates a reliable web server that can host websites, web applications, and serve static content.

Introduction

Apache is one of the most popular web servers in the world, and it runs great on Alpine Linux. I’ve been using this setup for years to host everything from simple websites to complex web applications.

The main reason I choose Apache is its flexibility and extensive module system. You can configure it for almost any web hosting scenario, from basic static sites to complex dynamic applications with PHP, Python, or other languages.

Why You Need This

• Host websites and web applications reliably
• Serve static content with excellent performance
• Support multiple domains with virtual hosts
• Enable SSL/HTTPS for secure connections

Prerequisites

You’ll need these things first:

• Alpine Linux system with root access
• Basic knowledge of Linux command line
• Domain name or IP address for testing
• Internet connection for package downloads
• Understanding of basic web server concepts

Step 1: Install Apache HTTP Server

Installing Apache Package

I’ll start by installing Apache and essential modules from Alpine’s package repository.

What we’re doing: Installing Apache web server and commonly used modules.

# Update package index
sudo apk update

# Install Apache HTTP Server
sudo apk add apache2

# Install common Apache modules
sudo apk add apache2-ssl apache2-utils apache2-dev

Code explanation:

• apache2: Main Apache web server package
• apache2-ssl: SSL/TLS support for HTTPS connections
• apache2-utils: Additional utilities for Apache management
• apache2-dev: Development headers for compiling modules

Expected Output:

(1/4) Installing apache2 (2.4.57-r0)
(2/4) Installing apache2-ssl (2.4.57-r0)
(3/4) Installing apache2-utils (2.4.57-r0)
(4/4) Installing apache2-dev (2.4.57-r0)
OK: 125 MiB in 87 packages

Verifying Installation

What we’re doing: Checking that Apache installed correctly and understanding the file structure.

# Check Apache version
httpd -v

# List Apache configuration files
ls -la /etc/apache2/

# Check Apache binary location
which httpd

Code explanation:

• httpd -v: Shows Apache version and compile-time settings
• /etc/apache2/: Main Apache configuration directory
• which httpd: Shows where Apache binary is installed

Expected Output:

Server version: Apache/2.4.57 (Unix)
Server built:   May  1 2023 10:30:15

Step 2: Configure Basic Apache Settings

Main Configuration File

What we’re doing: Setting up basic Apache configuration for Alpine Linux environment.

# Backup original configuration
sudo cp /etc/apache2/httpd.conf /etc/apache2/httpd.conf.backup

# Edit main configuration
sudo nano /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

Key Configuration Changes:

# Server root directory
ServerRoot /etc/apache2

# Listen on port 80 for HTTP
Listen 80

# Set server name (replace with your domain)
ServerName localhost:80

# Document root where web files are stored
DocumentRoot "/var/www/localhost/htdocs"

# Directory permissions
<Directory "/var/www/localhost/htdocs">
    Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride None
    Require all granted
</Directory>

# Load essential modules
LoadModule dir_module modules/mod_dir.so
LoadModule mime_module modules/mod_mime.so
LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Configuration explanation:

• ServerRoot: Base directory for Apache configuration
• Listen 80: Makes Apache listen on HTTP port 80
• ServerName: Sets the server’s hostname
• DocumentRoot: Directory where website files are stored
• Directory block: Sets permissions for document root

Setting Up Web Directory

What we’re doing: Creating the web directory structure and setting proper permissions.

# Create web directory
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/localhost/htdocs

# Set ownership to Apache user
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/localhost/

# Set proper permissions
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/localhost/htdocs/

# Create a test page
echo "<h1>Welcome to Alpine Linux Apache Server</h1>" | sudo tee /var/www/localhost/htdocs/index.html

Code explanation:

• mkdir -p: Creates directory structure if it doesn’t exist
• chown -R apache:apache: Sets Apache user as owner recursively
• chmod -R 755: Sets read/write for owner, read for others
• tee /var/www/localhost/htdocs/index.html: Creates test webpage

Step 3: Start and Enable Apache Service

Starting Apache Service

What we’re doing: Starting Apache and configuring it to start automatically at boot.

# Start Apache service
sudo service apache2 start

# Check Apache status
sudo service apache2 status

# Enable Apache to start at boot
sudo rc-update add apache2 default

Code explanation:

• service apache2 start: Starts Apache web server
• service apache2 status: Shows current service status
• rc-update add apache2 default: Adds Apache to default runlevel for auto-start

Expected Output:

* Starting apache2...
* apache2: started
 * service started

Testing Apache Installation

What we’re doing: Verifying that Apache is running and serving web pages correctly.

# Test locally
curl http://localhost

# Check if Apache is listening on port 80
netstat -tlnp | grep :80

# Test from another machine (replace with your IP)
curl http://192.168.1.100

Code explanation:

• curl http://localhost: Tests web server locally
• netstat -tlnp | grep :80: Verifies Apache is listening on port 80
• External IP test confirms remote access works

Tip: If you can’t access from other machines, check your firewall settings.

Step 4: Configure Virtual Hosts

Setting Up Virtual Hosts Directory

What we’re doing: Creating structure for hosting multiple websites on one Apache server.

# Create virtual hosts configuration directory
sudo mkdir -p /etc/apache2/sites-available
sudo mkdir -p /etc/apache2/sites-enabled

# Create virtual host for example.com
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

Virtual Host Configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html
    
    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public_html>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    
    ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/example.com_error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/apache2/example.com_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Virtual host explanation:

• ServerName: Primary domain name for this site
• ServerAlias: Alternative domain names (like www.example.com)
• DocumentRoot: Directory containing website files
• AllowOverride All: Enables .htaccess files
• ErrorLog/CustomLog: Separate log files for this site

Creating Website Directory

What we’re doing: Setting up directory structure and content for the virtual host.

# Create website directory
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html

# Set proper ownership
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/example.com/

# Create sample website
cat > /tmp/index.html <<EOF
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title>Welcome to Example.com</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Example.com Website</h1>
    <p>This site is hosted on Alpine Linux with Apache.</p>
</body>
</html>
EOF

sudo mv /tmp/index.html /var/www/example.com/public_html/

Code explanation:

• Creates complete directory structure for website
• Sets Apache as owner for security
• Creates proper HTML page for testing

Enabling Virtual Host

What we’re doing: Activating the virtual host and updating Apache configuration.

# Enable virtual host
sudo ln -s /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/

# Add virtual host loading to main config
echo "IncludeOptional sites-enabled/*.conf" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

# Test configuration
sudo httpd -t

# Reload Apache
sudo service apache2 reload

Code explanation:

• ln -s: Creates symbolic link to enable site
• IncludeOptional: Loads all enabled site configurations
• httpd -t: Tests configuration for syntax errors
• service apache2 reload: Applies configuration changes

Step 5: Enable SSL/HTTPS Support

SSL Module Configuration

What we’re doing: Enabling SSL support for secure HTTPS connections.

# Load SSL module
echo "LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

# Add SSL configuration
echo "Include /etc/apache2/extra/httpd-ssl.conf" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

# Create SSL certificate directory
sudo mkdir -p /etc/apache2/ssl

Code explanation:

• mod_ssl.so: Apache module for SSL/TLS support
• httpd-ssl.conf: Contains SSL-specific configuration
• /etc/apache2/ssl: Directory for SSL certificates

Creating Self-Signed Certificate

What we’re doing: Generating SSL certificate for testing HTTPS functionality.

# Generate private key
sudo openssl genrsa -out /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key 2048

# Create certificate signing request
sudo openssl req -new -key /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key -out /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.csr

# Generate self-signed certificate
sudo openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.csr -signkey /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key -out /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt

# Set proper permissions
sudo chmod 600 /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key
sudo chmod 644 /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt

Code explanation:

• genrsa -out: Creates 2048-bit RSA private key
• req -new: Creates certificate signing request
• x509 -req: Generates self-signed certificate valid for 365 days
• Permission settings secure private key and allow certificate reading

SSL Virtual Host

What we’re doing: Creating HTTPS version of virtual host with SSL configuration.

# Create SSL virtual host
sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com-ssl.conf

SSL Virtual Host Configuration:

<VirtualHost *:443>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html
    
    SSLEngine on
    SSLCertificateFile /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt
    SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key
    
    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public_html>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    
    ErrorLog /var/log/apache2/example.com_ssl_error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/apache2/example.com_ssl_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Practical Examples

Example 1: PHP Support

What we’re doing: Adding PHP support for dynamic web applications.

# Install PHP and Apache PHP module
sudo apk add php81 php81-apache2

# Add PHP module to Apache
echo "LoadModule php_module modules/mod_php.so" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

# Configure PHP file handling
cat >> /tmp/php.conf <<EOF
<IfModule mod_php.c>
    DirectoryIndex index.php index.html
    AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
    AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps
</IfModule>
EOF

sudo mv /tmp/php.conf /etc/apache2/conf.d/php.conf

# Create PHP test file
echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" | sudo tee /var/www/localhost/htdocs/info.php

# Restart Apache
sudo service apache2 restart

Code explanation:

• Installs PHP 8.1 and Apache integration
• Configures Apache to process .php files
• Creates PHP info page for testing

Example 2: URL Rewriting

What we’re doing: Enabling clean URLs and URL rewriting functionality.

# Enable rewrite module (if not already enabled)
echo "LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

# Create .htaccess example
cat > /tmp/.htaccess <<EOF
RewriteEngine On

# Redirect HTTP to HTTPS
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

# Clean URLs - remove .html extension
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^([^\.]+)$ $1.html [NC,L]
EOF

sudo mv /tmp/.htaccess /var/www/example.com/public_html/

Code explanation:

• Enables mod_rewrite for URL manipulation
• Forces HTTPS redirects for security
• Removes .html extensions from URLs

Troubleshooting

Apache Won’t Start

Problem: Apache service fails to start Solution: Check configuration and log files

# Test configuration syntax
sudo httpd -t

# Check Apache error logs
sudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log

# Check if port 80 is already in use
sudo netstat -tlnp | grep :80

Permission Denied Errors

Problem: 403 Forbidden errors when accessing websites Solution: Fix file permissions and ownership

# Set correct ownership
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/

# Set proper permissions
sudo find /var/www/ -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;
sudo find /var/www/ -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

# Check SELinux if enabled
sudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1

SSL Certificate Issues

Problem: SSL/HTTPS not working properly Solution: Verify certificate configuration

# Test SSL configuration
sudo openssl s_client -connect localhost:443

# Verify certificate details
sudo openssl x509 -in /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt -text -noout

# Check SSL module loading
httpd -M | grep ssl

Best Practices

1. Security Hardening:

   # Hide Apache version
   echo "ServerTokens Prod" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
   echo "ServerSignature Off" | sudo tee -a /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

2. Performance Optimization:

   • Enable compression with mod_deflate
   • Configure caching headers
   • Optimize worker processes for your hardware

3. Regular Maintenance:

   • Monitor log files regularly
   • Keep Apache and modules updated
   • Backup configurations before changes

Verification

To verify Apache installation and configuration:

# Check Apache is running
sudo service apache2 status

# Test HTTP access
curl -I http://localhost

# Test HTTPS access (if SSL configured)
curl -I -k https://localhost

# Check loaded modules
httpd -M | head -10

Expected Output:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Date: Mon, 26 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT
Server: Apache
Content-Type: text/html

Wrapping Up

You just learned how to:

• Install Apache HTTP Server on Alpine Linux
• Configure virtual hosts for multiple websites
• Enable SSL/HTTPS for secure connections
• Set up PHP support for dynamic content

That’s it! You now have a fully functional Apache web server on Alpine Linux. This setup handles everything from simple static websites to complex web applications. I use this configuration for production servers all the time.