why is the PHP stuff line "off" by default in ports/lang/php5?

[Michael Powell]

doug at safeport.com wrote:

> On Mon, 20 Sep 2010, Rob Farmer wrote:
> 
>> On Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 00:45, Alex Dupre <ale at freebsd.org> wrote:
>>> This "issue" has been discussed too many times. The answer is simply
>>> "no", but you can search the archives for the actual reason. You have to
>>> comile the module for your specific apache installation.
[snip]

Many admins choose FastCGI over mod_php. We are not interested in having 
mod_php installed for us by default. So defaulting to 'off' is good. Had the 
OP been paying attention to this it would have been so simple for him to 
click the box in make config and build/install mod_php. Why should it be 
automatically "On" for those of us who do not want nor use mod_php?

Being caught out when a change occurs is simply inattention to detail.

[snip] 
>     4) My own opinion of best admin practices generally follows, if you
>     don't
>        need it, don't install it.
> 
> If you build/install something like wordpress that requires both php and
> apache, the correct thing is done. Usually even the required directives
> are added to httpd.conf. The original question does not say if a port
> management system was used to upgrade apache. If that was the case,
> perhaps one could argue apache was not updated properly. Even in that
> case, I would argue that the bug [if any] lies with the port management
> system. 

The reason for paying attention is time can, and does, bring change. Maybe 
once upon a time installing mod_php was the default, but as more people 
selected alternatives it was decided to leave the choice up to the user.

It is by not paying attention that such a change occurs and goes unnoticed. 
Blindly assuming that 'because it was always *this* way for years' does not 
mean things won't ever change. Many of these changes are logged in UPDATING.

I have been updating Apache and PHP with portupgrade for years. I also 
recognize that a change in port build options may render the saved options 
file under the corresponding port directory in /var/db/ports invalid. When 
and if such a thing occurs it is up to me to recognize and adjust, rather 
than just blindly 'assume and ignore...'.

These are the very typical duties of a system administrator. 

-Mike