14 DAY TRIAL // I've always wanted to have a spare alternative to everything, just in case something goes wrong with the first, I could always fall back to second, third and so on, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who likes it this way. When you think about a web server for Linux, you'll undoubtedly think about Apache. Why? Either because it's the only web server application you've worked with, or thanks to its constantly increasing popularity level due to the fact that most (if not all) Linux distributions are released with Apache pre installed by default. Or because you're simply not aware of other web server applications, besides Apache. In that case, you'll be pleased to know that there's an alternative to the popular webserver and it's called lighttpd, which meets and probably even exceeds Apache's capabilities.
Lighttpd (light footprint + httpd) is a web server designed to be fast, secure, standards-compliant and flexible, while being optimized for speed-critical environments. Its memory footprint is very low compared to other web servers, while its CPU load and its speed make lighttpd the most suitable for servers that suffer load problems. Moreover, Lighttpd is distributed under the BSD license, which makes lighttpd free.
Install lighttpd
on Fedora
- Install lighttpd through yum:
chkconfig httpd off
- Install lighttpd:
- Make sure the following requirements are met: ? automake 1.8 or higher ? autoconf 2.57 or higher ? libtool 1.5 or higher
- Next, download the latest source package from SOFTPEDIA - Open a terminal, change directory, compile and install:
cd lighttpd-x.x.x
./configure
make
make install
on Fedora
- Install fastcgi mod for lighttpd:
Note: It's possible that when you try to view a php file in lighttpd, you will get a 403 forbidden error. If you follow the above guide, that error will be remedied.
on Unbuntu
- Install PHP5-cgi:
on Fedora:
- Login as root and type: (use 'restart', just in case it has been auto ran)
on Ubuntu:
- Open a terminal and type:
