Apache is open-source web server software that is developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation and is available for free.
It’s fast, reliable, and secure and runs on 31% of web servers, while an alternative, NGINX, runs on 34%. Apache can be highly customized to meet the needs of many different environments by using extensions and modules.
Many WordPress hosting providers use Apache as their web server software. However, WordPress can run on other web server software as well.
What Is a Web Server?
A web server is software run by your website hosting provider so that visitors can view the web pages on your site. Many WordPress hosting providers use Apache.
The software performs a similar role to a restaurant host. When you arrive at a restaurant, the host greets you, checks your booking information, and takes you to your table. In a similar way, the web server checks for the web page you have requested.
A web server also does more. It also acts like a restaurant server when it fetches the page and serves it for your viewing pleasure.
It also performs the role of the restaurant’s maitre d’ by handling communications with the website, handling your requests, and making sure that other modules are ready to serve you.
Finally, a web server is also like the busboy clearing tables. It cleans the memory, cache, and modules and clears them for new website visitors.
In summary, a web server like Apache performs many tasks:
- It receives your request to access a web page.
- It runs a few security checks on your HTTP request and takes you to the web page.
- It may ask the server to run extra modules while generating the document to serve you.
- It then serves you the document you requested.
Running the Apache Webserver on Your Computer
If you wish to run WordPress locally on your computer, then you will need to run the same software as your WordPress hosting provider. This includes Apache (the web server software), MySQL (the database), and PHP (the programming language).
Luckily, software stacks like WAMP (for Windows), MAMP (for Mac), LAMP (for Linux), and XAMPP (cross-platform) make installing this software easy.
We hope this article helped you learn more about Apache in WordPress. You may also want to see our Additional Reading list below for related articles on useful WordPress tips, tricks, and ideas.
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