In this issue

During testing of the code tagged for the 2.0.41 release a problem was found in the mod_dav module which meant that the server would segfault under certain circumstances when DAV was enabled. After a fix had been checked in, a 2.0.42 tarball was created for testing purposes.

The question of binary module compatibility was under discussion this week; the Apache 2.0 interface is still undergoing steady change, with the result that a module compiled against 2.0.40, for instance, will not load in 2.0.42 without being re-compiled. Opinions were divided on whether it is desirable to attain a stable module interface for Apache; the majority appeared to favour the current approach that the interface must continue to change as it is improved.

In other news, the rewrite of the authentication modules mentioned in a previous issue has now been checked in, and a few teething problems were quickly ironed out. The documentation team continue to make large strides forward with the new XML-based Apache 2.0 documentation, this week adding a quick reference page for all the configuration directives available.

Registration for the 2002 ApacheCon conference opened this week, and is already proving to be popular. This year ApacheCon is being held in Las Vegas, USA from the 19th-21th November 2002, with an optional day of tutorials available on November 18th. Sign up for the conference before the end of September and you'll save a couple of hundred dollars on the registration fee - perfect spending money for a night out at one of the many casinos or nightclubs this unique city has to offer.

Apache Week will be on hand to report on the event, we wouldn't want to miss it. Find out more at the conference web site, or read our account of ApacheCon 2001 Santa Clara.

In this section we highlight some of the articles on the web that are of interest to Apache users.

Last week we covered the worm that exploits the recent OpenSSL security issues. It is now known as 'Slapper' and is currently being tracked by Internet Storm Center. Here's a list of articles about the worm:

• "Analysis of Apache/mod_ssl Worm" by Internet Storm Center.
• "Global Slapper Worm Information Center" at F-Secure.
• "Slapper worm spanks Apache servers" by John Leyden at The Register.
• "Linux worm creating P2P attack network" by Robert Lemos at CNET.
• "P2P worm targets Linux Apache Web servers" by Ellen Messmer at Network World Fusion.
• "Transatlantic worm targets Linux" by Iain Thomson at Personal Computer World.

"Generate dynamic content with Tomcat and MySQL" shows you how to create rotating banner advertisements using Apache Tomcat, MySQL, and the MM MySQL JDBC driver. It is a step-by-step guide on how to set up Tomcat and MySQL, install the MM MySQL JDBC driver, and get Tomcat to communicate with MySQL using a Java servlet .

UnixReview.com provides a review of the book "Web Programming in Python: Techniques for Integrating Linux, Apache, and MySQL". Its conclusion is that if you are interested in using Python, Apache, MySQL, and Linux to set up your e-commerce web site then this is the book for you.

There are lots of books about PHP and there are lots of books about XML, but there are very few books about PHP and XML. Wrox Press have attempted to fill this niche in the market with "Professional PHP4 XML" and we've two copies to give away. We also kept a copy for ourselves and have written a comprehensive review of it.

Weighing in at very nearly a thousand pages this is not a book that you'll lose down the side of the sofa, but the sheer size of its subject area means that the priority is breadth rather than depth of coverage. And that's no bad thing: after absorbing the core of the book you'll be in a fine position to choose the correct tool for the job in hand. You'll also have a head start in locating and understanding more in-depth information on the techniques that you decide to use.

This book is targeted at people with some PHP experience and no XML knowledge and it is well paced for its target audience; readers with no PHP or XML experience will probably find it hard going. Although the book is written like a tutorial it has a number of useful appendices which will ensure that it remains a useful reference long after you finish reading it. If you enjoyed other books in Wrox's "Programmer to Programmer" series then you'll have no problems with this one.

For a chance to get your hands a copy of the book, answer this simple question:

What does the M in XML stand for?
A) Markup , B) Microsoft , or C) eMbedded

Send your answer to freebook@apacheweek.com to reach us no later than September 26th 2002. Your email address will not be used for anything other than to let you know if you won. Two winners will be drawn at random from all correct entries submitted, books will be dispatched direct by Wrox Press. One entry per person, no cash alternative, editors' decision is final, so there.