Lighttpd is smaller and faster alternative to Apache web server. You can handle bigger traffic with the same memory and CPU constraints (it's important on virtual servers where resources are limited). Let's see how we can convert existing Apache+FastCGI stacks into Lighttpd:
Global options
There's special syntax to add options to all virtuals:
global {
dir-listing.activate = "disable"
server.follow-symlink = "enable"
}
In above example two config values are set: one is responsible for disabling directory listings ("Options +Indexes" in Apache), second for FollowSymlink counterpart.
Declaring virtual hosts
Lighttpd uses conditionals to specify configuration in general and the same strategy applies for virtuals definitions:
$HTTP["host"] =~ ".*aplikacja.info" {
(...)
}
Above syntax matches domain and all subdomains. Pretty simple isn't it?
mod_rewrite rewritten
Let's see how RewriteRules could be translated into Lighttpd configuration syntax:
url.rewrite-once = (
"^/$" => "/index.php",
"^/\?(.*)$" => "/index.php?$1",
)
Above code converts URL without script path to /index.php and any other url into /index.php?ANY-URL.
Old school cgi-s
Sometimes you want (have to) call scripts using good old protocol: CGI (Common Gateway Interface). It's inefficient method (process creation overhead every request), but have one benefit: memory is freed directly after proces finish. Example:
cgi.assign = ( ".cgi" => "" )
This syntax defines that any script with given extension will be executed as CGI. "" means we use default script interpreter (declared by #!/path/to/file syntax).
Hide some files from HTTP
Sometimes you want to block access by HTTP to only specified URLs (and do not allow, for instance, to download you config file with database login & password). This can be achieved by the following syntax:
$HTTP["url"] !~ "^/index.php|^/static" {
url.access-deny = ("")
}
In above example only /index.php and all content from static subdirectory is available (other URLs will give 401 unauthorized error).
PHP in FastCGI mode
It's very easy to setup PHP in FastCGI mode in Debian:
lighttpd-enable-mod fastcgi
Above command symlinks /etc/lighttpd/conf-available/10-fastcgi.conf to /etc/lighttpd/conf-enabled/10-fastcgi.conf. You must restart Lighttpd in order to see effects. Lets dig inside this config file:
server.modules += ( "mod_fastcgi" )
## Start an FastCGI server for php (needs the php5-cgi package)
fastcgi.server = ( ".php" =>
((
"bin-path" => "/usr/bin/php-cgi",
"socket" => "/tmp/php.socket",
"max-procs" => 1,
"idle-timeout" => 20,
"bin-environment" => (
"PHP_FCGI_CHILDREN" => "1",
"PHP_FCGI_MAX_REQUESTS" => "10000"
),
"bin-copy-environment" => (
"PATH", "SHELL", "USER"
),
"broken-scriptfilename" => "enable"
))
)
