How to enable user home directories in Apache on SLES 10.

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Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 1
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 2
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Service Pack 3

Situation

Default install of Apache on SLES 10 SP1, SP2, or SP3. Attempting to use home directories but receiving Error 404 Object not found! errors.

Resolution

By default, Apache user home directories (mod_userdir.conf) is loaded with Apache in SLES 10 SP1, SP2, and SP3. However, the functionality is not enabled. To enable it, you need to add a directive to the /etc/apache2/default-server.conf:

<IfModule mod_userdir.c>
    # Note that the name of the user directory ("public_html") cannot simply be
    # changed here, since it is a compile time setting. The apache package
    # would have to be rebuilt. You could work around by deleting
    # /usr/sbin/suexec, but then all scripts from the directories would be
    # executed with the UID of the webserver.
    UserDir public_html
    # The actual configuration of the directory is in
    # /etc/apache2/mod_userdir.conf.
    Include /etc/apache2/mod_userdir.conf
    # You can, however, change the ~ if you find it awkward, by mapping e.g.
    # http://www.example.com/users/karl-heinz/ --> /home/karl-heinz/public_html/
    #AliasMatch ^/users/([a-zA-Z0-9-_.]*)/?(.*) /home/$1/public_html/$2
</IfModule>

Save the changes and restart Apache:

rcapache2 stop

rcapache2 start

Disclaimer

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