15 Nov 11 How to compile apache httpd on HP-UX 11.11 PA-RISC

The first thing that I have to say, after more than 10 years working with different OSes, is that there is no better operative system than Linux. Any other OS that I’ve worked with is a pure shit, in my humble opinion off course. HP-UX is one of this. This is a closed box with custom patches here and there, not a true, modern os like linux or free bsd, and the like. The compiler is closed source and it’s not free.

The best way that I’ve found to compile apache with gcc on HP-UX 11.11 (pa-risc) using open source free software is:

1. download the following software packages from HP-UX Porting Centre (http://hpux.connect.org.uk/) – your version may vary: zlib-1.2.5-hppa-11.11.depot.gz, make-3.82-hppa-11.11.depot.gz, libiconv-1.14-hppa-11.11.depot.gz, gettext-0.18.1.1-hppa-11.11.depot.gz, openssl-1.0.0e-hppa-11.11.depot.gz, libgcc-4.2.3-hppa-11.11.depot.gz, gcc-4.2.3-hppa-11.11.depot.gz
2. gunzip each one of the downloaded depot, (eg: gunzip * from the directory where you downloaded)
3. install each depot in the order given below (the first is zlib, the last is gcc) with the standard hpux command: swinstall -s [your_absolute_depot_path]
4. once this boring operation mandatory only on non modern operative systems is terinated successfully, you can export the PATH variable setting /usr/local/bin in front of the PATH list: export PATH=”/usr/local/bin:$PATH”
5. ok. We are now ready to compile apache. Download and uncompress the httpd tar.gz with “gunzip”, then “tar xf” (on a modern system you can do it in a single pass with tar xzvf …)
6. the configure string to run is: ./configure –with-included-apr –with-expat=builtin –prefix=[YOUR_APACHE_INSTALLATION_PATH] –enable-mods-shared=most –enable-ssl –enable-proxy –enable-proxy-connect –enable-proxy-http –enable-proxy-balancer –enable-cache –enable-disk-cache –enable-mem-cache
7. once finisced, run: “gmake“.

At this point, after some minute, you probably will end with a compiler error like this one:

/var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/srclib/apr/libtool –silent –mode=link gcc -g -O2 -pthread     -L/usr/local/lib   -o htpasswd  htpasswd.lo   -lm /var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/srclib/pcre/libpcre.la /var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/srclib/apr-util/libaprutil-1.la /var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/srclib/apr-util/xml/expat/libexpat.la -liconv /var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/srclib/apr/libapr-1.la -lrt -lm -lpthread -ldld
libtool: link: warning: this platform does not like uninstalled shared libraries
libtool: link: `htpasswd’ will be relinked during installation
/usr/ccs/bin/ld: Unsatisfied symbols:
apr_generate_random_bytes (first referenced in .libs/htpasswd.o) (code)
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
gmake[2]: *** [htpasswd] Error 1
gmake[2]: Leaving directory `/var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/support’
gmake[1]: *** [all-recursive] Error 1
gmake[1]: Leaving directory `/var/adm/crash/src/httpd-2.2.21/support’
gmake: *** [all-recursive] Error 1

This means that the APR library cannot generate random numbers. I have to investigate why, probably the system is not capable/patched to generate PRN numbers at kernel level (/dev/random or /dev/urandom) and the APR library breaks. Not a problem. Simply skip the creation of the htpasswd executable. You will probably not need it.

• cd support
• touch htpasswd
• cd ..

Now came back to compile:

• gmake

when finished, simple “gmake install“, and you hopefully have done, thinking why you are still using a non modern os and becoming soon a happy new linux user..

😉 Hope this one will help some linux user fighting on HP as well like me!

Ciao, Dino.