The Apache HTTP Server post install script on Solaris sparc/x86_64/i386 has the following issues:

• It requires to be executed with root privileges, despite the fact it is definitely not necessary.
• It does not offer any fall back if executed by an unprivileged user.
• It never checks for postinstall.done file.
• It has unnecessary differences with lib and lib64 on multiple places.
• There is a typo in error messages.
• Error messages and Warnings do not explain what's really happening.

Suggested solution

Please, take a look at this script I suggest as a drop in replacement: .postinstall.httpd (the i386 variant differs only on 1 line - lib / lib64). The previous commit contains the original script so as you can comfortably compare the update.

Improvements

• If the script is not executed with root privileges, it clearly explains what functionality will be skipped.
• In case of this unprivileged execution, let's say under user "webusr", it creates and correctly symlinks directories in $INSTALLROOT/var/ instead of /var/.
• It sets user and group to "webusr".
• It replaces User apache and Group apache with "webusr" – i.e. with user who executed the post install script.
• All messages clearly explains what's happening.
• It skips script execution if "done" marker is found.

Result

• Apache HTTP Server starts out of box even if installed by an unprivileged user in a non-default location. The only things that need to be manually edited after post install in this case are:
  • port 80 to something higher that does not require rights elevation
  • port 443 to something higher that does not require rights elevation
  • fix bug in ssl.conf, where there is hardcoded: SSLSessionCache shmcb:/run/httpd/sslcache(512000) instead of using @installroot@ in ssl.conf.in.
• If installed by root, it operates normally as it did before.

Some outputs

Unprivileged execution

[hudson@dev32-02 etc]$ ./.postinstall.httpd 
WARNING: This script should be run as superuser to create user `apache' and directories in `/var/'.
WARNING: Using different root directory then `/opt/jws-3.0'
WARNING: Not a superuser. User and group `apache' will not be created. User `hudson' used instead.
WARNING: Not a superuser. Directories in `/var/' will not be created. Using `/tmp/deleteX/jws-3.0/var/' instead.
Generating private RSA key ... OK
Generating new dev32-02.mw.lab.eng.bos.redhat.com certificate ... OK
Done.

Unprivileged execution – second run.

[hudson@dev32-02 etc]$ ./.postinstall.httpd 
WARNING: This script should be run as superuser to create user `apache' and directories in `/var/'.
WARNING: Using different root directory then `/opt/jws-3.0'
Skipping post install. Package is already installed in : `/tmp/deleteX/jws-3.0'

Privileged execution – Apache user already exists.

[root@dev32-02 etc]# ./.postinstall.httpd 
Apache group (id=48) already exists.
Apache user  (id=48) already exists.
Generating private RSA key ... OK
Generating new dev32-02.mw.lab.eng.bos.redhat.com certificate ... OK
Done.

WDYT?