1 For each application, add an Alias line to httpd.conf to point to the directory
2 containing the handler package, then specify the appropriate module name as the
3 PythonHandler.
4
5 Alias /simple "/home/paulb/Software/Python/WebStack/examples/ModPython/SimpleApp"
6
7 <Directory "/home/paulb/Software/Python/WebStack/examples/ModPython/SimpleApp">
8 AddHandler python-program .simple
9 PythonHandler SimpleHandler
10 PythonDebug On
11 </Directory>
12
13 It would appear that the directory really should be distinct from others
14 defined for mod_python, and that the handler should have a distinct name from
15 other handlers employed.
16
17 The WebStack package must reside on the PYTHONPATH, along with the package
18 containing the application itself. Therefore, ensure that the handler uses the
19 appropriate entries in sys.path.
20
21 Using the above definition in httpd.conf, only server resources residing
22 directly below "/simple" in the URL "hierarchy" with names ending in ".simple"
23 would be associated with the Simple WebStack application's resources.
24 Therefore, the following URL paths would access the application:
25
26 /simple/home.simple
27 /simple/tasks.simple/my-tasks
28 /simple/agenda.simple/tomorrow/first-thing
29
30 Examples of URL paths not addressing the application are as follows:
31
32 /agenda/my-agenda.simple
33 /simple/tasks/my-tasks.simple
34
35 --------
36
37 Authentication/authorisation in mod_python:
38
39 Apache imposes fairly strict controls over authentication, requiring the
40 addition of various declarations in the configuration in order to impose
41 access controls on applications, and for WebStack authenticators to be used, a
42 "PythonAuthenHandler" must be declared in the application's configuration
43 section.
44
45 Consequently, it is necessary to define authentication methods in the
46 httpd.conf file as in the following example:
47
48 Alias /auth "/home/paulb/Software/Python/WebStack/examples/ModPython/AuthApp"
49
50 <Directory "/home/paulb/Software/Python/WebStack/examples/ModPython/AuthApp">
51 AddHandler python-program .py
52 PythonHandler AuthHandler
53 PythonAuthenHandler AuthHandler
54 PythonDebug On
55 AuthType Basic
56 AuthName "AuthResource"
57 AuthUserFile /usr/local/apache2/conf/users
58 require valid-user
59 </Directory>
60
61 The details of the application's deployment, including the exact pathname of
62 the users file and the appropriate access policy, must obviously be defined
63 according to the actual application concerned.
64
65 --------
66
67 Session storage with mod_python:
68
69 The very simple SessionStore class provided in WebStack.Helpers.Session, and
70 used by the WebStack.ModPython.Transaction class, requires that a directory be
71 created under the Apache server root with the name "WebStack-sessions". Here are
72 some example commands for doing this:
73
74 cd /usr/local/apache2
75 mkdir WebStack-sessions
76 chown username.groupname WebStack-sessions
77
78 The given "username" and "groupname" correspond to the user and group the Apache
79 server assumes when running.
