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Debian Documentation Browser fails

Asked by bsalem

On a U. 14.04 install with Debian Documentation Browser the tool fails to find what it needs to search from /var/www/dwww. It needs the files in /usr/bin/cgi-bin but the apache2 config has been changed to look on /var/www. I copied the files to a cgi-bin under that dir and made sure the execute bit was set. Why has the apache2 config changed? This worked fine in U 12.04. and what is the best way to change it? Also, is there a less compicated web server than apache2, the config is baroque, and note the misspelling, it is intended.

I have never found apache2 config to be satisfying or pleasing. I would love an alternative.

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bsalem (bruce-euphon) said : 		#1

The tool for selecting the software the question is about is very frustrating to use. It is unforgiving and after having wrestled with it in the same condition for several years, I am forced to conclude that Ubuntu doesn't want is community properly served. Little things like this are going to kill it. I know that this question is assigned to the wrong product, too bad, change it your selves, or design a better interface for launch pad.

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bsalem (bruce-euphon) said : 		#2

I was able to fix this. I had to copy the cgi-bin dir from /usr/bin to /var/www. The Debian Documentation Browser then just shows the source of the perl script called dwww. A comment at the top of the script said to enable the module for cgi: 'a2enmod cgi' which corrected the problem.

I am going to mark this as 'solved' but:

THE INSTALL FOR THE DEBIAN DOCUMENTATION BROWSER SHOULD CHECK FOR APACHE2 DEPENDENCIES AND INFORM THE USER OR DO THE RECONFIG OF THE APACHE2 SERVER,

not expect the user who may be a complete novice to discover the intricacies of apache2 configuration.

Again, this is the sort of configuration mishap which was due to a change between U. 12.04 and U 14.04 in the upstream apache2 config that should have been caught by the package build.

Configuration "errors" of this kind will make Ubuntu uncompetetive especially if prices for Mac hardware were to drop, MAC OSX being far more ironclad about such issues. There is really no excuse for package configurations to not agree at this level.