Configuring subdomains on Apache HTTP Server

Setup

This tutorial outlines how I host multiple WordPress websites on my dev box. Each subdomain, or virtual host, can be configured separately using separate configuration files.

Each subdomain has a separate folder in htdocs:

htdocs
 ⊢ alphacompany
 ∟ bravocompany

On your dev box, these two subdomains would be available at:

• alphacompany.localhost
• bravocompany.localhost

Configure

Configuration is done in a text file called httpd-vhosts.conf. Config files are simple text files containing all the configuration details required for the server to work on your computer.

httpd-vhosts.conf

C
 ⊢ Apache24
  ⊢ htdocs
  ∟ conf
    ∟ httpd.conf
    ∟ extra
     ∟ httpd-vhosts.conf

You will now want to configure the two subdomains using <VirtualHost> directives (note I have added a third subdomain for phpMyAdmin as well):

#
# VirtualHost example:
# Almost any Apache directive may go into a VirtualHost container.
# The first VirtualHost section is used for all requests that do not
# match a ServerName or ServerAlias in any <VirtualHost> block.
#
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin david@stylus.co.za
    DocumentRoot "${SRVROOT}/htdocs"
    ServerName localhost
    ServerAlias localhost
    ErrorLog "logs/localhost-error.log"
    CustomLog "logs/localhost-access.log" common
</VirtualHost>


<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin david@stylus.co.za
    DocumentRoot "${SRVROOT}/htdocs/stylus"
    ServerName alphacompany.localhost
    ServerAlias bravocompany.localhost
</VirtualHost>

#################################
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin david@cape-hike.co.za
    DocumentRoot "${SRVROOT}/htdocs/cape-hike"
    ServerName cape-hike. Localhost
    ServerAlias cape-hike.localhost
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin david@stylus.co.za
    DocumentRoot "${SRVROOT}/htdocs/phpMyAdmin"
    ServerName phpMyAdmin. Localhost
    ServerAlias phpMyAdmin. Localhost
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin david@stylus.localhost
    DocumentRoot "${SRVROOT}/htdocs/PHPWebAdmin"
    ServerName PHPWebAdmin.localhost
    ServerAlias PHPWebAdmin.localhost
    ErrorLog "logs/PHPWebAdmin.localhost-error.log"
    CustomLog "logs/PHPWebAdmin.localhost-access.log" common
</VirtualHost>

Restart Apache

You will always have to restart Apache once you have made and saved changes to any of the config files.