lib::Apache::forUks(e3r)Contributed

NNAAMMEE
       Apache::fork - Override Perl's built-in fork()

SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS
        use Apache::fork;

DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN
       The ffoorrkk function defined in this module will override
       Perl's built-in ffoorrkk function so that any children
       resulting from a fork() will (optionally) close any open
       listening http sockets (main server and virtuals) and/or
       kill the child httpd process with exit() is called.

       TOGGLING: forkoption(int) usage:

       int can be one of the following...

       0 = Nothing, perform your normal fork().  1 = Have the
       child resulting from a fork close all listening sockets.
       2 = Have the child resulting from a fork() die with exit()
       is called.  3 = Do both 1 and 2.

       Default is 3.

       NOTE: forkoption is NOT reset to default between hits,
       why?  So you could set it in a perlscript and have it last
       across clients/runs (ie so you wouldn't need to go
       modifying your mod_perl (or in my case, pure CGI/perl
       scripts. ;)

       ALSO NOTE: The parent process will still have the http
       sockets open, so it can still communicate with the
       downstream client, as well as still accept connections
       after the client has disconnected, it's only the resulting
       child who will no longer have the http sockets open.

       ANOTHER NOTE: The child STILL has the socket open to the
       client, it's just the listening sockets (port 80, etc)
       that's closed.

       AYA NOTE: ALL listening sockets are closed, for the main
       server AND for any alternative ports you have the httpd
       process listening to.

       WHY?: Sometimes, you want to have your script fork, then
       exec a process so that it can perform some nifty thing in
       the background.  Unfortunatly, when you fork (and exec),
       all open file descriptors are passed along, including the
       listening HTTP sockets that are used by the server to
       accept connections, which can be a bad thing.  (ie.  Child
       is forked, forked child has port 80 open, forked child
       exec()'s whatever, now whatever has port 80 open, server
       is HUP'd, restarted, whatever...  'course, it can't

       because some other process already has control over port
       80 (ie, whatever)) Ow?  ;)

       Also, forked children would "hang around" when they were
       finished (or exit()'d) unless exit(-2) was used.  And, the
       original parent httpd had no clue the children even
       existed.  Essentually, you'd end up with an indefinite
       number of httpd processes (as each forked()'d child would
       never exit).  Of course, with the socket closing patch in
       place... those children never again served another page
       either.

       This patch was made essentually to make fork() under
       mod_perl act like you'd expect it to (so modules that
       might be used by non-mod_perl scripts wouldn't need to be
       modified)

       Incase any of you were curious, all my CGI scripts run
       unmodified under mod_perl.  Not a single line of mod_perl
       anything in them.  If they won't work under mod_perl for
       some odd reason, I just modify mod_perl so they do.  ;)

AAUUTTHHOORR
       Michael Turner, mturner@spry.com