In this issue

Apache Site: www.apache.org
Release: 1.3.6 (Released 25^th March 1999) (local download sites)
Beta: None

Apache 1.3.6 is the current stable release. Users of Apache 1.3.4 and earlier on Unix systems should upgrade to this version. Read the Guide to 1.3.6 for information about changes between 1.3.4 and 1.3.6 and between 1.2 and 1.3.6.

Most bugs listed below include a link to the entry in the Apache bug database where the problem is being tracked. These entries are called "PR"s (Problem Reports). Some bugs do not correspond to problem reports if they are found by developers.

These bugs have been found in 1.3.6 and will be fixed in the next release.

• AddDescription did not work properly with wildcards in the filename. PR#1898.
• If DirectoryIndex is set to a single dot (".") Apache would go into an infinite loop. This is fixed by allowing only regular files (no directories or symbolic links) as the arguments to this directive.
• Occasional crashes in the proxy module. PR#3178.

Patches for bugs in Apache 1.3.6 will be made available in the apply_to_1.3.6 subdirectory of the patches directory on the Apache site. Some new features and other unofficial patches are available in the 1.3 patches directory. For details of all previously reported bugs, see the Apache bug database and known bugs pages. Many common configuration questions are answered in the Apache FAQ.

The next release of Apache will include enhanced support for Mac OS X. Currently, Apache supports "Rhapsody", the previous name of Mac OS X. From the next release, this has been renamed "Mac OS X" inside Apache, and has been updated. This includes using correct paths in the APACI layout for Mac OS X, and returning a platform name of "Mac OS" rather than "Unix" in response headers.

MindCraft, the testing organisation which recently released controversial performance figures for Apache on Linux, is doing a new test. This time they are asking for advice from various open source exports. More information on this "OpenBenchmark" should be available from the MindCraft site. Of course the test is still likely to benefit programs and OSes tuned to work well in benchmark situations (limited number of low-latency clients, for example).