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Every "new" webserver tries to fix apache configuration syntax mess, and imho they all fail. Yes, setting up a reverse proxy looks simpler with nginx or haproxy

Every "new" webserver tries to fix apache configuration syntax mess, and imho they all fail. Yes, setting up a reverse proxy looks simpler with nginx or haproxy for that matter. Now when it comes to complex configurations they all suck, and I'm not sure a json/yaml config format is going to fix that as long as webservers have such wide scopes (from serving static pages, to proxying traffic, authorizing, authenticating, encrypting...). At least apache is very modular on this regard and some credit should be given to it having survived and evolved along with all the newer options.

sanderjd 11y ago
The better choice is not a new webserver program with a different, possibly better, configuration language, it's HTTP server libraries that can be used from actual programming languages to do whatever you want. Many languages ship with really good libraries these days.
- therein 11y ago
  They indeed are shipping with really good libraries these days but no matter how good they are, there is some level of doubt that they fail to alleviate and they get deployed behind nginx or apache httpd anyway.
  - sanderjd 11y ago
    It seems more like they are deployed behind load balancers, because load balancing is a specific job that it makes sense to do with a separate piece of software. Admittedly, that separate piece of software is often nginx, but there are other popular options, and I don't think very many people use Apache that way (though I could be wrong).
    - therein 11y ago
      I guess I should have said Apache Traffic Server rather than httpd. Their plugins and routing configuration is getting pretty enjoyable to work with.
    - SSLy 11y ago
      Every third telecom around the world uses apache to load balance requests for specific application. Source: I have to support that SW stack.
      - sanderjd 11y ago
        Interesting, thanks for the info!
librvf 11y ago
> Every "new" webserver tries to fix apache configuration syntax mess, and imho they all fail. Fail at what? What were they were trying to "fix"? > Yes, setting up a reverse proxy looks simpler with nginx or haproxy for that matter. People don't choose nginx and haproxy because of the configuration syntax, they choose it for performance and features.

sanderjd 11y ago

The better choice is not a new webserver program with a different, possibly better, configuration language, it's HTTP server libraries that can be used from actual programming languages to do whatever you want. Many languages ship with really good libraries these days.

therein 11y ago
They indeed are shipping with really good libraries these days but no matter how good they are, there is some level of doubt that they fail to alleviate and they get deployed behind nginx or apache httpd anyway.
- sanderjd 11y ago
  It seems more like they are deployed behind load balancers, because load balancing is a specific job that it makes sense to do with a separate piece of software. Admittedly, that separate piece of software is often nginx, but there are other popular options, and I don't think very many people use Apache that way (though I could be wrong).
  - therein 11y ago
    I guess I should have said Apache Traffic Server rather than httpd. Their plugins and routing configuration is getting pretty enjoyable to work with.
  - SSLy 11y ago
    Every third telecom around the world uses apache to load balance requests for specific application. Source: I have to support that SW stack.
    - sanderjd 11y ago
      Interesting, thanks for the info!

librvf 11y ago

> Every "new" webserver tries to fix apache configuration syntax mess, and imho they all fail. Fail at what? What were they were trying to "fix"? > Yes, setting up a reverse proxy looks simpler with nginx or haproxy for that matter. People don't choose nginx and haproxy because of the configuration syntax, they choose it for performance and features.