[mod-security-users] Suggestions re installation and documentation

[Regence 2. <reg...@ho...>]

I have some install issues and I thought I would put these suggestions out 
there for future improvements in the mod_security install and/or 
documentation.

I'm running Apache 2.0 on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0. The mod_security 
manual shows how to do a source and binary install starting on page 5.

Issue #1

The dynamic install from source doesn't work on RHEL 3.0 because the apache 
'apxs' utility isn't standard as far as I can tell.

Suggestion: Explain what apxs is and why/where it is installed? Can it be 
installed after the fact?

Issue #2

The static install from source doesn't install much confidence (the 
instructions state "there is no definitive documentation" on how to do this 
on Apache 2!?) and they are also very unclear e.g.

./configure --prefix=(my prefix) --with-module=mappers:security

What is '(my prefix)'? It isn't explained in the documentation.

They also require you to recompile Apache, which I am reluctant to do.

Suggestion: Explain '(my prefix)'. Find the definitive way to install static 
modules on Apache 2.0 and document it.

Issue #3

The binary installation instructions are also unclear, because they refer to 
mod_security.so which is the compiled version of mod_security.c, but they 
don't spell out how you should compile it or where you should get the 
compiled version from.

There are mod_security RPM's and binaries around, but they are for mandrake 
systems. If there is a compiled binary for Red Hat, I couldn't find it.

Suggestion: Explain the .so only comes with the compiled version, and that 
it is system specific. (or is it?)

I hope these suggestions make it into future documentation. Thanks for such 
a great piece of software.

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