Re: [tlug] Testing Apache for gzip modules

[Dave M G <dave@example.com>]

Pier, JC, dikshie,

Thank you for responding.

Using the methods you suggest, I have confirmed that my Apache server 
(2.2.14) does not have mod_gzip installed. It does have mod_expires, though.

My server is Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS release 4 (Nahant Update 3), 
which puts me a little at a disadvantage, because my usual bread and 
butter is Ubuntu, which is debian based.

I'm also confused a little because the line between mod_gzip and 
mod_deflate is a little blurry. Some pages I've read seem to indicate 
they're the same thing, or at least that if you have mod_deflate that it 
supports gzip as well. Which should I be getting?

Apparently, if my server were on Debian, I could just say "a2enmod 
deflate" and be up and running. However, for Red Hat, I'm told I need to 
edit httpd.conf to have the line:
LoadModule deflate_module /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_deflate.so

... but I'm sceptical of that. Will it just work to add the line? Don't 
I need to install anything?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Also, I should probably mention the .htaccess code I'm using in 
combination with the Apache modules in order to get compression and 
expires turned on. I got it off the net after looking at a few different 
variants. Hopefully this .htaccess code is not problematic:
# BEGIN Compress text files
<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
<FilesMatch "\.(css|js|x?html?|php)$">
    SetOutputFilter DEFLATE
</FilesMatch>
</IfModule>
# END Compress text files
# BEGIN Expire headers
<IfModule mod_expires.c>
  ExpiresActive On
  ExpiresDefault "access plus 1 seconds"
  ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 2592000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 2592000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 2592000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 2592000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 2592000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 604800 seconds"
  ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 216000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 216000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType application/x-javascript "access plus 216000 seconds"
  ExpiresByType text/html "access plus 600 seconds"
  ExpiresByType application/xhtml+xml "access plus 600 seconds"
</IfModule>
# END Expire headers
# BEGIN Cache-Control Headers
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
<FilesMatch "\.(ico|jpe?g|png|gif|swf)$">
    Header set Cache-Control "max-age=2592000, public"
</FilesMatch>
<FilesMatch "\.(css)$">
    Header set Cache-Control "max-age=604800, public"
</FilesMatch>
<FilesMatch "\.(js)$">
    Header set Cache-Control "max-age=216000, private"
</FilesMatch>
<FilesMatch "\.(x?html?|php)$">
    Header set Cache-Control "max-age=600, private, must-revalidate"
</FilesMatch>
</IfModule>
# END Cache-Control Headers
# BEGIN Turn ETags Off
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
  Header unset ETag
</IfModule>
FileETag None
# END Turn ETags Off
# BEGIN Remove Last-Modified Header
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
  Header unset Last-Modified
</IfModule>
# END Remove Last-Modified Header

--
Dave M G