4 ms·

> If you’re new to macOS, this is a kindly reminder that macOS ships with Apache2. Oh, I didn't realize that. Seems like a strange choice?

qsort 4y ago
Until Mojave it came with PHP. It's probably a relic of a time when installing runtimes/system software wasn't as easy.
- krackers 4y ago
  It also used to come with twisted preinstalled back when it still shipped with python2.
  - petepete 4y ago
    And there was a period where it came with rails.
    - schappim 4y ago
      I believe Podcast Producer (which used to run on Mac OS X Server) used to run on rails, or perhaps just ruby. It was a long time ago.
ktpsns 4y ago
Mac OS X used to ship with a wide variety of open source software such as Samba or CUPS. Most of that stuff is removed nowadays but some is still present. Many networking services can be easily activated using the settings app.
- schappim 4y ago
  >> used to ship with a wide variety of open source software such as Samba or CUPS The CUPS software is still available in Ventura and it comes with version 2.3.4. This version is more up-to-date compared to the latest release of CUPS from Apple on Github and it doesn't match any releases in OpenPrinting CUPS.
yakkers 4y ago
It's been in macOS for quite some time. Mostly dormant now but at one point it was what powered the Web Sharing option in the Sharing prefpane. It was also used in OS X Server (both the OS X versions designed for Xserve and the later "app" version) before that was largely whittled away. I can't exactly find if it came with OS X since the beginning (which would predate nginx and friends), but it probably was a much more likely choice back in the day, and I guess that's why it's still included. Wouldn't be surprised to see it quietly disappear from later macOS releases, though.
- schappim 4y ago
  "quite some time", is an understatement. The Apache HTTP Server was included as part of Mac OS X starting with version 10.0 (Cheetah), which was released on March 24, 2001. Prior to that, users of Mac OS X would have to manually install and configure Apache HTTP Server, if they desired to run a web server on their Mac.
  - WesolyKubeczek 4y ago
    Was there a meaningful "before" for Mac OS X? 10.0 was the first X (unless you mean developer previews and the like).
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - mattl 4y ago
      Mac OS X server had 1.0, 1.1 and 1.23 released before 10.0 was released, based on Rhapsody. Apache was one of the installable options alongside Emacs and WebObjects.
- jrochkind1 4y ago
  I feel like it dates from earlier internet, before the age of walled garden takeover, when it still seemed like a decentralized internet would be the thing, and everyone would be, like, using a desktop GUI to create html or something. Of course everyone should have a webserver on their machine, right? Apple was ahead of the curve on something that never arrived and many of us still miss.
ytch 4y ago
It even has tftp server: https://rick.cogley.info/post/run-a-tftp-server-on-mac-osx/ https://rick.cogley.info/post/run-a-tftp-server-on-mac-osx/
rollcat 4y ago
OS X used to be a very decent out-of-the-box server OS, that also came with an actually usable GUI to configure many things. A friend of mine would put a "shared" Mac Mini somewhere in the office at almost every job he's ever had, "just in case". Need to let a guest browse the web? The router is failing? Transcode some media? It always came in clutch.
- duffyjp 4y ago
  One of my first real jobs I was tasked with maintaining the department's website. After a while I asked my supervisor where it was actually hosted. He took me over to another building and showed me a headless G3 B&W PowerMac on the floor of a shared office. It had been the original developer's machine and they just left it running dutifully for years. This was before https was common and it was a static site so really you could have hosted it on anything. The people working in that office were unaware of what it did, just that it should never be turned off. ;)

qsort 4y ago

Until Mojave it came with PHP. It's probably a relic of a time when installing runtimes/system software wasn't as easy.

krackers 4y ago
It also used to come with twisted preinstalled back when it still shipped with python2.
- petepete 4y ago
  And there was a period where it came with rails.
  - schappim 4y ago
    I believe Podcast Producer (which used to run on Mac OS X Server) used to run on rails, or perhaps just ruby. It was a long time ago.

ktpsns 4y ago

Mac OS X used to ship with a wide variety of open source software such as Samba or CUPS. Most of that stuff is removed nowadays but some is still present. Many networking services can be easily activated using the settings app.

schappim 4y ago
>> used to ship with a wide variety of open source software such as Samba or CUPS The CUPS software is still available in Ventura and it comes with version 2.3.4. This version is more up-to-date compared to the latest release of CUPS from Apple on Github and it doesn't match any releases in OpenPrinting CUPS.

yakkers 4y ago

It's been in macOS for quite some time. Mostly dormant now but at one point it was what powered the Web Sharing option in the Sharing prefpane. It was also used in OS X Server (both the OS X versions designed for Xserve and the later "app" version) before that was largely whittled away. I can't exactly find if it came with OS X since the beginning (which would predate nginx and friends), but it probably was a much more likely choice back in the day, and I guess that's why it's still included. Wouldn't be surprised to see it quietly disappear from later macOS releases, though.

schappim 4y ago
"quite some time", is an understatement. The Apache HTTP Server was included as part of Mac OS X starting with version 10.0 (Cheetah), which was released on March 24, 2001. Prior to that, users of Mac OS X would have to manually install and configure Apache HTTP Server, if they desired to run a web server on their Mac.
- WesolyKubeczek 4y ago
  Was there a meaningful "before" for Mac OS X? 10.0 was the first X (unless you mean developer previews and the like).
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - mattl 4y ago
    Mac OS X server had 1.0, 1.1 and 1.23 released before 10.0 was released, based on Rhapsody. Apache was one of the installable options alongside Emacs and WebObjects.
jrochkind1 4y ago
I feel like it dates from earlier internet, before the age of walled garden takeover, when it still seemed like a decentralized internet would be the thing, and everyone would be, like, using a desktop GUI to create html or something. Of course everyone should have a webserver on their machine, right? Apple was ahead of the curve on something that never arrived and many of us still miss.

ytch 4y ago

It even has tftp server: https://rick.cogley.info/post/run-a-tftp-server-on-mac-osx/ https://rick.cogley.info/post/run-a-tftp-server-on-mac-osx/

rollcat 4y ago

OS X used to be a very decent out-of-the-box server OS, that also came with an actually usable GUI to configure many things. A friend of mine would put a "shared" Mac Mini somewhere in the office at almost every job he's ever had, "just in case". Need to let a guest browse the web? The router is failing? Transcode some media? It always came in clutch.

duffyjp 4y ago
One of my first real jobs I was tasked with maintaining the department's website. After a while I asked my supervisor where it was actually hosted. He took me over to another building and showed me a headless G3 B&W PowerMac on the floor of a shared office. It had been the original developer's machine and they just left it running dutifully for years. This was before https was common and it was a static site so really you could have hosted it on anything. The people working in that office were unaware of what it did, just that it should never be turned off. ;)