How to Configure Virtual Hosting with Apache on AlmaLinux

In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up virtual hosting on Apache with AlmaLinux
By İbrahim Korucuoğlu ( @siberoloji) |
Tags:
Categories:

Apache HTTP Server (httpd) is one of the most versatile and widely used web servers for hosting websites and applications. One of its most powerful features is virtual hosting, which allows a single Apache server to host multiple websites or domains from the same machine. This is especially useful for businesses, developers, and hobbyists managing multiple projects.

In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up virtual hosting on Apache with AlmaLinux, a popular enterprise-grade Linux distribution.

What is Virtual Hosting in Apache?

Virtual hosting is a method used by web servers to host multiple websites or applications on a single server. Apache supports two types of virtual hosting:

  1. Name-Based Virtual Hosting:
    Multiple domains share the same IP address but are differentiated by their domain names.

  2. IP-Based Virtual Hosting:
    Each website is assigned a unique IP address. This is less common due to IPv4 scarcity.

In most scenarios, name-based virtual hosting is sufficient and more economical. This guide focuses on name-based virtual hosting on AlmaLinux.

Prerequisites for Setting Up Virtual Hosting

Before configuring virtual hosting, ensure you have:

  1. A Server Running AlmaLinux
    With root or sudo access.

  2. Apache Installed and Running
    If not, install Apache using the following command:

    sudo dnf install httpd -y
sudo systemctl start httpd
sudo systemctl enable httpd

  3. DNS Configured for Your Domains
    Ensure your domain names (e.g., example1.com and example2.com) point to your server’s IP address.

  4. Firewall and SELinux Configured
    Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic through the firewall:

    sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

    Configure SELinux policies as necessary (explained later in this guide).

Step-by-Step Guide to Configure Virtual Hosting

Step 1: Set Up the Directory Structure

For each website you host, you’ll need a dedicated directory to store its files.

  1. Create directories for your websites:

    sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example1.com/public_html
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example2.com/public_html

  2. Assign ownership and permissions to these directories:

    sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/example1.com/public_html
sudo chown -R apache:apache /var/www/example2.com/public_html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www

  3. Place an index.html file in each directory to verify the setup:

    echo "<h1>Welcome to Example1.com</h1>" | sudo tee /var/www/example1.com/public_html/index.html
echo "<h1>Welcome to Example2.com</h1>" | sudo tee /var/www/example2.com/public_html/index.html

Step 2: Configure Virtual Host Files

Each virtual host requires a configuration file in the /etc/httpd/conf.d/ directory.

  1. Create a virtual host configuration for the first website:

    sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/example1.com.conf

  2. Add the following content:

    <VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example1.com
    ServerAlias www.example1.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example1.com/public_html

    <Directory /var/www/example1.com/public_html>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/example1.com-error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/httpd/example1.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

  3. Create a similar configuration for the second website:

    sudo nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/example2.com.conf

  4. Add this content:

    <VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example2.com
    ServerAlias www.example2.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example2.com/public_html

    <Directory /var/www/example2.com/public_html>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog /var/log/httpd/example2.com-error.log
    CustomLog /var/log/httpd/example2.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Step 3: Test the Configuration

Before restarting Apache, it’s important to test the configuration for syntax errors.

Run the following command:

sudo apachectl configtest

If everything is configured correctly, you should see:

Syntax OK

Step 4: Restart Apache

Restart the Apache service to apply the new virtual host configurations:

sudo systemctl restart httpd

Step 5: Verify the Virtual Hosts

Open a web browser and navigate to your domains:

  • For example1.com, you should see:
    Welcome to Example1.com

  • For example2.com, you should see:
    Welcome to Example2.com

If the pages don’t load, check the DNS records for your domains and ensure they point to the server’s IP address.

Advanced Configuration and Best Practices

1. Enable HTTPS with SSL/TLS

Secure your websites with HTTPS by configuring SSL/TLS certificates.

  1. Install Certbot:

    sudo dnf install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y

  2. Obtain and configure a free Let’s Encrypt certificate:

    sudo certbot --apache -d example1.com -d www.example1.com
sudo certbot --apache -d example2.com -d www.example2.com

  3. Verify automatic certificate renewal:

    sudo certbot renew --dry-run

2. Disable Directory Listing

To prevent unauthorized access to directory contents, disable directory listing by adding the following directive to each virtual host:

Options -Indexes

3. Use Custom Log Formats

Custom logs can help monitor and debug website activity. For example:

LogFormat "%h %l %u %t \"%r\" %>s %b \"%{Referer}i\" \"%{User-Agent}i\"" custom
CustomLog /var/log/httpd/example1.com-access.log custom

4. Optimize SELinux Policies

If SELinux is enabled, configure it to allow Apache to serve content outside the default directories:

sudo semanage fcontext -a -t httpd_sys_content_t "/var/www/example1.com(/.*)?"
sudo semanage fcontext -a -t httpd_sys_content_t "/var/www/example2.com(/.*)?"
sudo restorecon -Rv /var/www/example1.com
sudo restorecon -Rv /var/www/example2.com

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  1. Virtual Host Not Working as Expected

    • Check the order of virtual host configurations; the default host is served if no ServerName matches.

  2. Permission Denied Errors

    • Verify that the apache user owns the document root and has the correct permissions.

  3. DNS Issues

    • Use tools like nslookup or dig to ensure your domains resolve to the correct IP address.

  4. Firewall Blocking Traffic

    • Confirm that HTTP and HTTPS ports (80 and 443) are open in the firewall.

Conclusion

Configuring virtual hosting with Apache on AlmaLinux is a straightforward yet powerful way to host multiple websites on a single server. By carefully setting up your directory structure, virtual host files, and DNS records, you can serve unique content for different domains efficiently. Adding SSL/TLS encryption ensures your websites are secure and trusted by users.

With this guide, you’re now ready to manage multiple domains using virtual hosting, making your Apache server a versatile and cost-effective web hosting solution.

Last modified 09.01.2025: msfconsoel translations ongoing... (f7e18da)