How to configure Apache2 for Redmine properly?

Question

I have a working Redmine installation on my Debian server, but I don't know how to configure Apache2 properly so that neither the content of the Redmine folder nor the Redmine start page will be displayed as the homepage of my website. Suppose the URL of the website was www.myexample.com.

Current state

• www.myexample.com shows files of /var/www/redmine folder
• with the symbolic link /var/www/redmine -> /usr/local/lib/redmine-2.1/public/

Wanted state

• www.myexample.com should be my usual website homepage (e.g. showing index.html)
• www.redmine.myexample.com or www.myexample.com/redmine should show the redmine page

I guess it is just a configuration problem but I cannot figure out the problem. So here are my configuration files. Do you see what I am missing here?

1. /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

   <VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName redmine.example.com
     DocumentRoot /var/www
     <Directory /var/www>
       AllowOverride all
       Options -MultiViews
     </Directory>
   </VirtualHost>
   

2. /etc/apache2/sites-available/redmine

   <VirtualHost *:80>
     DocumentRoot /var/www/redmine
     <Directory /var/www/redmine>
       AllowOverride all
       Options -MultiViews
       RailsBaseURI /redmine
     </Directory>
   </VirtualHost>
   

3. /etc/apache2/sites-available/default

   <VirtualHost *:80>
       ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
   
       DocumentRoot /var/www
       <Directory />
               Options FollowSymLinks
               AllowOverride None
       </Directory>
       <Directory /var/www/>
               Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
               AllowOverride None
               Order allow,deny
               allow from all
       </Directory>
   
       ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ /usr/lib/cgi-bin/
       <Directory "/usr/lib/cgi-bin">
               AllowOverride None
               Options +ExecCGI -MultiViews +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
               Order allow,deny
               Allow from all
       </Directory>
   
       ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
   
       # Possible values include: debug, info, notice, warn, error, crit,
       # alert, emerg.
       LogLevel warn
   
       CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
   </VirtualHost>
   

After changing any of these files, do I have to restart Apache2 or use a2ensite to activate any of the hosts?

Solution

I've written a how-to including this. While it is about Redmine 1.3.x it should be still relevant for the Apache part.

Full how-to: Redmine stable on Debian stable. Basically, it comes down to this:

• Install and configure mod_passenger in /etc/apache2/mods-available/passenger.conf:

  PassengerDefaultUser www-data
  # Below are some lines to tweak mod-passenger.
  # This keeps some Ruby processes running,
  # but the average response time is a lot lower
  # on low-traffic sites.
  RailsSpawnMethod smart
  PassengerPoolIdleTime 3000
  RailsAppSpawnerIdleTime 0
  PassengerMaxRequests 1000
  

• Extend your current main 'site', for example /etc/apache2/sites-available/mymainsite:

  <Directory /var/www/redmine>
          RailsBaseURI /redmine
          PassengerResolveSymlinksInDocumentRoot on
  </Directory>
  

• Create another 'site' and include the same as above, changing the RailsBaseURI value to /.

Comments

[Michael Hampton]

Yes, you have to reload Apache after changing its configuration.

[Bastian]

@MichaelHampton Well good to know. So any ideas about the general problem?

[Bastian]

Well I am kind of astonished, but your approach actually works! The redmine page is now available under 'mydomain/redmine' while the standard homepage is available under 'mydomain'! One question though: Do you know how to make the redmine section available under a seperate subdomain 'redmine.mydomain'?

[gertvdijk]

Use regular VirtualHosting directives like ServerName and include the <Directory> part as you like. This is out of scope of any Redmine/Ruby application, but basic Apache configuration.

[Bastian]

Another question: I just switched my main directory to /var/www/main while keeping /var/www/redmine and the apache2 configuration as is. Unfortunately I seem to have broken the availability of redmine now, the website does not know http://mydomain/redmine anymore. Do you know what I have to change?