Basic InstantRails CGI implementation

I have installed Instantrails 1.4 and am interested in simply deploying such that someone can hit my site on port 80, via Apache, and be into my rails site. I'm not yet interested in setting up FastCGI, etc. I cannot change the web hosts file.

It seems that I can, from within InstantRails, go to "Congifugre Rails Apps," check off my app, then "Start with Mongrel". This works fine as long as I come into http://mysite:3000 but not when I come into http://mysite.

What am I missing about Instant Rails that is making it seem not-so-instant in the case of deployment here? Thanks, R. Vince

You have to set up you Apache configuration for proxy port 80 requests for your app's domain to Mongrel running on whatever port you have chosen.

Edit the apache config file through the Instant Rails menus and look at the end of the file where you'll see working configurations for the cookbook and typo apps.

Curt

Curt Hibbs wrote:

Edit the apache config file through the Instant Rails menus and look at the end of the file where you'll see working configurations for the cookbook and typo apps.

Curt

Thanks Curt,

But this requires editing the Windows.hosts file, doesn't it? -Ralph

It does if you don't have a real domain name mapped to the machine's IP address, then you'd need to edit the HOSTS file to fake the domain name (this is only good for development).

What you do really depends on what it is that you are trying to accomplish. If all you want to do is to do some light production serving on port 80, then you could just forego Apache completely (don't let it start up), and configure Mongrel to serve up the rails app on port 80.

Curt

I have Tomcat running with Apache, coming in on port 80, to a dedicated IP address. It seems to me I am best to let mongrel run, on port 3000 under this configuration, and do NOTHING in httpd.conf. Rather, to have the URL used to hit the Rails apps com in with the :3000 appended onto the IP address. This may be the most efficient way for me since that would bypass Apache altogher, and in so doing, Rails is marginally quicker, as might be my Apache/Tomcat stuff runniing on port 80. Does that sound correct to you? Thanks, Ralph

Sure, nothing wrong with that.

Curt