Using Apache in WSL1

This is part 2 in an ongoing series detailing how to setup Windows Subsystem for Linux, or WSL, for Local Development. In this section, we’ll install, configure, and use apache. Apache is a free open source software which runs more than 50% of the world’s servers.

For background on WSL and information detailing how to use Git in Windows 10, see Part 1.

Installing Apache#

Use the apt package management tools to update your local package index. Next, install Apache.

    

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sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install apache2

    

Check the IP address of your local WSL installation. It should be 127.0.0.1 or Localhost.

Enabling Apache Mods#

Sometimes popular Apache mods like rewrite or headers are needed for CMS’s like WordPress. Luckily, you can install them within WSL.

    

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sudo a2enmod rewrite

    

The above command downloads and enables the rewrite Apache mod to your WSL environment.

Now with apache installed and any necessary mods enabled, you can serve web pages in Windows 10. Next, we’ll setup a simple .conf file and point the document root to one of your mounted drives.

Setup a Simple Conf#

What if you want to setup another hostname for your local project besides localhost? Could this project be located in another directory? The answer to both questions is yes!

Apache configuration files allows for easy adminstration of your sites on the server. Additionally, it provides customizable options like ServerName and DocumentRoot.

Now, add the .conf file to /etc/apache2/sites-available. I like to name my .conf files after the hostname of the site. For instance, my local Drupal site would be drupal.dev.conf.

    

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cd /etc/apache2/sites-available
touch site.dev.conf

    

Next, edit the .conf file you created and add the desired configuration options. Below is an example you can use site URL is site.dev and the folder is located inside your Users directory.

    

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<VirtualHost *:80></VirtualHost>
  # The ServerName directive sets the request scheme, hostname and port that
  # the server uses to identify itself. This is used when creating
  # redirection URLs. In the context of virtual hosts, the ServerName
  # specifies what hostname must appear in the request's Host: header to
  # match this virtual host. For the default virtual host (this file) this
  # value is not decisive as it is used as a last resort host regardless.
  # However, you must set it for any further virtual host explicitly.
  ServerName site.dev

  ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
  DocumentRoot /mnt/c/Users/username/localdev/site

  <Directory /mnt/c/Users/username/localdev/site-folder>
      Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
      Require all granted
  </Directory>

  # Available loglevels: trace8, ..., trace1, debug, info, notice, warn,
  # error, crit, alert, emerg.
  # It is also possible to configure the loglevel for particular
  # modules, e.g.
  #LogLevel info ssl:warn

  ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
  CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

  # For most configuration files from conf-available/, which are
  # enabled or disabled at a global level, it is possible to
  # include a line for only one particular virtual host. For example the
  # following line enables the CGI configuration for this host only
  # after it has been globally disabled with "a2disconf".
  #Include conf-available/serve-cgi-bin.conf
</VirtualHost>

    

The above .conf file allows you to edit files directly on your Windows machine without having to edit them on the server or use FTP! This makes development much easier. Save the .conf file using CTRL + x and type y at the prompt.

Once the .conf file is saved, type the following command into WSL:

    

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sudo a2ensite site.dev.conf

    

This automatically enables your site.dev.conf file in the /etc/apache2/sites-enabled directory. Without this step you won’t see anything when you go to site.dev in your browser. Finally, restart apache.

    

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sudo service apache2 restart

    

Don’t forget to update your computer’s hosts file.

    

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127.0.0.1           site.dev

    

You should now be able to see your site at http://site.dev. If you’re having issues with the site displaying properly, check the .conf file. Maybe the directory or another configuration has an incorrect setting.

Conclusion#

That’s it for setting up Apache on your Windows 10 computer. In the next Windows 10 Local Development post, we’ll install Ruby and some Ruby gems!