Summary: Preference for Apache, PHP, and Tomcat packages for Sol10?

Hello Sun Managers,

    First, a thank you to these folks who responded:


Alan Pae
Hendrik Visage
Kev Smith
Gary Jenson
William Enestvedt
Joseph Kwan
Gerard Henry
Karl Vogel


    Since it's longish, my initial question is below this email.


    We believe we'll use packages from OpenCSW.org, and move to Sun's Web 
Stack (an officially supported replacement for Cool Stack, 
http://www.sun.com/software/webstack/) for boxes running Sol10 5/08 or 
higher. Thanks to Alan for mentioning Web Stack, and Joseph for bringing 
OpenCSW to my attention again (I'd forgotten about them).


    Steve at Sunfreeware was willing to compile the latest Apache and PHP5, 
but unfortunately they are linked against a later libresolv than we have 
on some of our Sol10 boxes. We will update these boxes, but would like to 
not _have_ to, for the sake of Apache and PHP.  The libresolv 
issue didn't exist if we took LDAP out of the mix (use the Sunfreeware 
apache_noldap package, or PHP without LDAP) - but we need LDAP.


    OpenCSW has later versions of Apache and PHP, but not quite the latest 
(Apache 2.2.10 vs. 2.2.11, and PHP 5.2.6 vs. 5.2.8). I've emailed both 
package maintainers asking about updates, but haven't heard back yet. The 
libresolv issue doesn't exist, because OpenCSW compiles their packages on 
Sol8 boxes to keep backward compatibility. There is also a bit more 
granularity in packaging (separate packages for different Apache workers, 
and PHP extensions).


    Web Stack has slightly earlier versions of Apache and PHP (2.2.9 and 
5.2.6 again). It's supportable via a forum 
(http://forums.sun.com/forum.jspa?forumID=980). I talked to Sun's phone 
support, and they don't show a group which supports Web Stack. The Web 
Stack forum page does say this though:

"Sun Web Stack product features a comprehensive set
of support offerings via subscriptions similar to MySQL and GlassFish. As 
such, Sun Web Stack is an officially supported replacement to the Cool 
Stack, part of the Cool Tools solutions."

    The above implies you can get additional support from Sun - I'm still 
tracking this down.


    I have played with OpenCSW packages and Web Stack (on a Sol10 10/08 
box), and they are doing what we need so far. We'd like later versions of 
Apache and PHP, but (For now) would prefer not to build our own packages - 
we know that's the best way to get exactly what we want, though. :)

    Our end goal is upgraded Sol10, and Sun's Web Stack, with support.


    Thank you again for taking the time to reply, and share your 
experiences,

Ivan.




My initial question, on Wed, 7 Jan 2009,:


> Hello,
>
>
>   I'm curious what folks tend to use for new production installations of 
> Apache, PHP, and Tomcat.
>
>   There are packages available from Sun Freeware (www.sunfreeware.com), the 
> Sun Companion DVD (also now put together by Sun Freeware), the packages which 
> are installed along with Sol10 (SUNWapch* packages), Blastwave 
> (www.blastwave.org, seems particularly out of date), and Sun's Cool Stack 
> (cooltools.sunsource.net). There's also creating one's packages, which we've 
> still not wanted to do as an institution, and, perhaps other sources of 
> packages I'm not aware of.
>
>
>   I'm again evaluating these package maintainers' timeliness creating new 
> packages after security updates, and flexibility (E.G. we use PHP with LDAP 
> support, are PHP extensions available as add-on packages?).
>
>   I'd very much appreciate hearing insight from others' experiences - what 
> do you tend to use for new installations, how have you found the upgrade / 
> patch process, have you recently switched from one set of packages to 
> another, and why?
>
>
>   Thank you as always, for your time!
>
> - Ivan
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