How do I upgrade *just* Apache in XAMPP (Windows)?

[sysop1911]

I'm running Windows Server 2003 R3 with XAMPP 1.6.7. We've got Apache 2.2.9 on there which I need to upgrade to Apache 2.2.12. Can someone show me the steps to do this? I don't want to upgrade the other parts of XAMPP, just Apache. Thanks.

[sysop1911]

30 people have looked at this and no one knows how to upgrade only one part of XAMPP? I just want to upgrade the latest version of Apache.

Do I have to delete Apache from the XAMPP folder and then run the MSI file and set the location to 'apache' in the XAMPP folder? This should be pretty easy, some one on here has to know how to do this? What about the conf files, do those stay the same? Thanks.

Sysop1911

[sysop1911]

Ok, so I deleted the Apache folder and uninstalled the service. Then I installed the Apache 2.2.13 MSI file (with OpenSSL) into the old location (the XAMPP\apache folder). I finally got Apache working, but now the CMS doesn't work, which means the web site won't come up. None of the CMS settings were changed and I think I configured everything as it was in the Apache conf files.

So, no one here has ever upgraded one component of XAMPP before?

[Nobbie]

So, no one here has ever upgraded one component of XAMPP before?

No, because it is stupid.

If I dont like the Xampp package "as it is", I install the tools seperately. It's easier and more flexible.

[dmphotography]

Ok, so I deleted the Apache folder and uninstalled the service. Then I installed the Apache 2.2.13 MSI file (with OpenSSL) into the old location (the XAMPP\apache folder). I finally got Apache working, but now the CMS doesn't work, which means the web site won't come up. None of the CMS settings were changed and I think I configured everything as it was in the Apache conf files.

So, no one here has ever upgraded one component of XAMPP before?

I wish I had visited sooner to advise you on this. . .

By upgrading ONLY Apache in this manner, several variables will be different. The configurations of Apache, PHP, and MySQL are all pre-configured to work together in a certain way in the XAMPP package and they also make references to certain settings that aren't set that way when doing a default install with any individual package.

Also, there are certain modules and each module has a particular version number that works with that particular version of Apache, meaning the new Apache has a whole different set (for the most part) of modules that the old one may or may not have had.

Newer versions of any software also has modifications to it's core functions to improve performance, security, and offer new functions and get rid of inefficient ones or vulnerable ones.

There's plenty of explanations I could go on giving about this, but the bottom line is, that is NOT the way to upgrade. Your best bet would've been backing up your Apache settings, your PHP settings, and your MySQL databases, then just doing an upgrade. I'm not even sure what version MySQL, PHP, etc 1.6.7 had, but more than likely there are even compatibility issues with the newest version of Apache.

Where to go from here?

Install the latest version of XAMPP in a separate folder, then copy over your CMS files. If you're lucky, you should be able to copy your database files over to the new MySQL database that XAMPP installs by going to your old xampp folder and copying the mysql data folders over to the new one.
Example:

THE OLD DIRECTORY

Code: Select all

C:/XAMPP/mysql/data/

Let's say it contains phpmyadmin, mysql, cdcol, joomla folders.
We DO NOT want to copy over phpmyadmin, mysql, OR cdcol. Nor do we copy any of the files in the data directory.
This will screw your new install up almost certainly.

Now since the joomla folder really is the only one we need, we're going to copy only that folder and place it in the new mysql data directory.

Leave any of them you don't ABSOLUTELY have to have.

Now you can log into phpmyadmin and you should see your database now, if you got lucky and it worked fine.

Next copy your website's directory over to the new htdocs folder. Make sure the old XAMPP isn't running and then start up the new XAMPP.

Your site should be close to up and running again, minus any other configurations you may have to make, such as updating database passwords, etc. in your configuration files.

And from now on, NEVER update something like this unless you really know what you're doing, because people knowing far more than myself have spent many hours making it all work and function near-flawlessly by doing some extensive modifications to each component so it would work the way they've packaged it.

[dondporter]

OK, I'm going to ask the same question again. I just upgraded Xampp to 1.7.2 on my Windows XPSP3 home desktop. I'm getting "insecure" complaints from Secunia PSI that Apache 2.2.12 is backissue. How can I upgrade Apache to 2.2.14? I'm willing to reinstall Xampp but I don't want to get tangled up. Do I have to install the beta Xampp 1.7.3?

[Izzy]

There is no upgrade path from beta releases to the full stable releases so a fresh install again would be required to benefit from the new 1.7.3 stable release.

So you may be better off to wait for the new stable 1.7.3 release due very soon:
http://twitter.com/apachefriends/status/6533700840

BTW the translated cryptic date provided by Twittie (Tweetie, I always get that wrong ) is:
20 December 2009 = Fourth Sunday of Advent

So not long to wait for XAMPP 1.7.3 stable release.

[ursa1]

I have xampp 1.7.3 installed. Secunia PSI says that apache 2.2.14 is insecure. I see that apache 2.2.16 is available, but I don't know how to install that into my xampp installation. If I do a normal install of apache, it goes into its own folder and doesn't update the xampp version. are there instructions on how to upgrade apache within xampp?

[JonB]

First -

If you had searched this forum as suggested, you wouldn't be asking this question (which I have answered 2-3 times this week)

You can't upgrade single core compnents of XAMPP (meaning Apache, PHP, Perl, MySQL) - its a suite configured to work together. If you want to go a different route install the apps standalone.

Second - Newsflash:
Secunia thinks everything is an insecure application. (well ALMOST everything web-related) Do you know what their business model is? They sell fear... (very well BTW) to big IT operations.

(Edit - My BAD! - I hope you are running Secunia in Advanced Mode)

So, you have to take their warnings in CONTEXT - (note that Apache's rating is 2 green lightds) that's the threat rating - means not severe That also means READ the Online References - particularly the Secunia Advisory for the specific application, it describes the threat.

http://secunia.com/advisories/40206/

1) The security issue is caused due to mod_proxy_http not properly handling certain timeout conditions, which can lead to responses being returned to the wrong users.

Note: This only affects configurations using proxy worker pools on Windows, Netware, and OS2 systems.

2) A vulnerability is caused due to an error within mod_cache when handling requests without a path segment, which can be exploited to cause a crash by sending specially crafted requests.

Note: Successful exploitation requires that the "CacheIgnoreURLSessionIdentifiers" configuration directive and the worker MPM is used.

3) A vulnerability is caused due to an error within mod_dav when handling requests without a path segment, which can be exploited to cause a crash by sending specially crafted requests.

Note: Successful exploitation requires that the worker MPM is used.

I promise you, unless I have totally misgujudged your level of expertise - NONE of these will conceivably impact you as an average user od a XAMPP personal server. I'm betting you won't know what 2 of 3 even are, one - maybe.

BTW, in RL, I'm a systems architect and I use Secunia, so this is not noise...

Good Luck with your project and take a chill pill, things are AOK.