Despite many corporate marketing departments that would like you to think otherwise, Apache--the software whose performance, reliability, and free availability act as its marketing team--is the Internet's most widely used Web server. Administering Apache gives plenty of detail on everyday interactions with the Apache software, as well as considerable information on once-in-a-while operations involving the server. Author Mark Arnold and his partners know Apache well, and are capable of sharing their knowledge in detailed (if sometimes dense) prose. You'll be disappointed if you come to this book expecting a candy-coated guide, but Apache administrators with a bit of experience will come away from this book with deeper Apache familiarity.

The book's problem is in its way of heaping explanatory information in with listings of what to type at various prompts and what you should see in response to those entries. This strategy leads to dense pages that can be hard to follow (except for those that have to do with installing the software under Unix, which are very well suited to a reader who's never worked under that operating system before). Fortunately, there's a large and detailed index that should help you locate the information you need in most cases. The authors also help matters by organizing their coverage around typical Apache jobs, like setting up a Web site in both single-site and multi-site configurations. Altogether, this book represents a detailed, if sometimes overwhelming, look at installing, configuring, and adjusting Apache. --David Wall, amazon.com

Topics covered: The Apache 1.3.6 Web server under Unix variants as well as Windows NT. There's coverage of alternate strategies for using the software (in a small business, for example, as opposed to in an Internet Service Provider environment), then detailed information on installing it. Configuring content and arranging for tight security are big thrusts, too.