requesting policy for Apache module installation (LoadModule manipulation)

[Miroslav Lachman]

Hello,
I would like to ask some changes in how Apache modules are installed.
There are many maintainers and many different sources for Apache 
modules. Some modules are installing sample files, some are modifying 
httpd.conf (LoadModule line) after each install / deinstall.

The modification after each deinstall is really a mess. If I installed 
mod_xsendfile, enabled it in httpd.conf and later will use pkg upgrade 
it will modify my httpd.conf in unwanted way - the mod_xsendfile will be 
disabled. Same applies to many other modules.

Some modules (mod_php) is installed and enabled by default. (different 
behaviour for different modules? Why?)

Can this behaviour be changed (unified) for all Apache modules to not 
touch these lines (modules enabled by user)?

If some port install some config file and user did some changes, this 
file must not be deleted by deinstalling the port so why Apache modules 
can remove / comment out lines touched by users?

Broken Apache webserver after each pkg upgrade is really annoying.


Making all ports use the same script post-install / post-deinstall would 
be nice too.

For example mod_php uses

    "scripts":{
       "post-install":"/usr/local/sbin/apxs -e -a -n php5 libphp5.so",
       "pre-deinstall":"/usr/local/sbin/apxs -e -A -n php5 libphp5.so"
    },

mod_xsendfile uses

    "scripts":{
       "post-install":"/usr/local/sbin/apxs -e -A -n xsendfile 
/usr/local/libexec/apache24/mod_xsendfile.so",
       "post-deinstall":"/usr/bin/sed -i '' -E 
'/LoadModule[[:blank:]]+xsendfile_module/d' 
/usr/local/etc/apache24/httpd.conf\necho \"Don't forget to remove all 
mod_xsendfile-related directives in your httpd.conf\""
    }

to achieve the same results (broken httpd.conf)

mod_php uses pre-deinstall
mod_xsendfile uses post-deinstall

mod_php enables mod_php on installation by apxs -e -a
mod_xsendfile adds commented line by apxs -e -A

This is just example of two modules. I looked at more modules and they 
are almost unique - each using different targets, different apxs options 
etc.

I am proposing not touching httpd.conf on deinstall at all and just 
printing the warning that the corresponding LoadModule line should be 
removed if it is no longer necessary. (by running apxs command?)

Also use "apxs -e -A -n moduleName" on install only if there is no 
LoadModule line for this module:

"post-install":"/usr/bin/grep -E '^#?LoadModule.*php5_module' 
/usr/local/etc/apache24/httpd.conf || /usr/local/sbin/apxs -e -A -n php5 
libphp5.so"

Another way to achieve this can be separate file in apache24/modules.d/ 
installed as sample and if user wants to enable it, just rename it to 
moduleName.conf. Then it will not be touched by pkg upgrade / deinstall 
phase.

Miroslav Lachman