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I have installed the latest version of Apache i.e., 2.4 on my Ubuntu 12.04 that is not yet available on the Ubuntu's official repository.

I don't know how but it is installed in /usr/local/apache2

But the issue is that I want to know if I should use Apache 2.4 for my production environment. My production server also runs on Ubuntu Server edition. Will it cause any problems like compatibility issues?

Or should I go with the older version of Apache server? Please Help.

Bilesh Ganguly
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Tarun
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1 Answers1

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It really depends on why you wanted to use the latest version in the first place. In the case of a product like Apache, the version that is available via the official repository will continue to get security updates during its life cycle, so that is not a reason to install the very latest version.

I would always advise using officially packaged versions of software - either from Ubuntu or direct from the vendor if they have their own repository, unless you have a very good reason not to such as a new feature you cannot live without. Not only will it save you a lot of effort, but also you are also more likely to keep your production server up to date with security updates because they will be made available for easy installation via apt-get.

It is normally preferable to use the same version of the software for development as you are using for production to avoid compatibility issues; you could read the new features list to see if there are any changes that might affect you, but sometimes it is only possible to find out the hard way by testing.

David Edwards
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  • Exactly. Only divert from official repository versions in case you have valid reasons. The question does not mention why, so advising the official repository version is the right thing here. – gertvdijk Jun 19 '13 at 16:40
  • @ David, gertvdijk : Thanks for the help, I was thinking to install Apache 2.4 as it is a stable version and also it will be more patched up as a security point of view. Any comments? – Tarun Jun 20 '13 at 05:00
  • Also how can I remove the installed apache 2.4 I dont think apt-get remove will work. – Tarun Jun 20 '13 at 05:29
  • Apache 2.2 is still supported by the Apache Software Foundation; as far as I am aware they have not announced an end of life date yet. It continues to get security updates, which are made available through the official Ubuntu repositories (see the Change Log on http://packages.ubuntu.com/precise/apache2). So until Apache 2.2 or Ubuntu 12.04 LTS reaches end of life, Apache 2.2 will be just as patched up as 2.4. The key difference is that with 2.4, you will need to look out for new releases and rebuild from source periodically whereas updates for 2.2 will come easily via apt-get. – David Edwards Jun 20 '13 at 07:40
  • Try make uninstall in your original build directory. See http://askubuntu.com/questions/87111/if-i-build-a-package-from-source-how-can-i-uninstall-or-remove-completely. – David Edwards Jun 20 '13 at 07:41
  • No problems. Please don't forget to go back through your questions and accept answers where appropriate. – David Edwards Jun 20 '13 at 08:33