Apache appears to finally have some competition

[iblis]

... In the form of the Cherokee web server. I've tinkered with it a bit, and while it doesn't have the million or two modules that Apache does, it's way more user-friendly. Instead of tinkering with a config file (though you have that option, as well), it has a python-based, web-accessible frontend that you can use to add virtual hosts, ~user style directories, and data sources.

The footprint is pretty amazing, too, in both file size:

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discord ~ # du $(which apache2)
336	/usr/sbin/apache2
discord ~ # du $(which cherokee)
12	/usr/sbin/cherokee

and libraries loaded:

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discord ~ # ldd $(which apache2)
	linux-gate.so.1 =>  (0xb7fb1000)
	libm.so.6 => /lib/libm.so.6 (0xb7f78000)
	libpcre.so.0 => /lib/libpcre.so.0 (0xb7f48000)
	libaprutil-1.so.0 => /usr/lib/libaprutil-1.so.0 (0xb7f28000)
	libgdbm.so.3 => /usr/lib/libgdbm.so.3 (0xb7f21000)
	libdb-4.7.so => /usr/lib/libdb-4.7.so (0xb7dcf000)
	libexpat.so.1 => /usr/lib/libexpat.so.1 (0xb7dad000)
	libapr-1.so.0 => /usr/lib/libapr-1.so.0 (0xb7d84000)
	libuuid.so.1 => /lib/libuuid.so.1 (0xb7d7f000)
	librt.so.1 => /lib/librt.so.1 (0xb7d76000)
	libcrypt.so.1 => /lib/libcrypt.so.1 (0xb7d44000)
	libpthread.so.0 => /lib/libpthread.so.0 (0xb7d2c000)
	libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0xb7d28000)
	libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0xb7bea000)
	/lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7fb2000)

discord ~ # ldd $(which cherokee)
	linux-gate.so.1 =>  (0xb7f28000)
	libcrypto.so.0.9.8 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.8 (0xb7dca000)
	libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0xb7dc6000)
	libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0xb7c89000)
	/lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7f29000)

Oh, and did I mention that it's fast?

Best of all, it supports Django seamlessly via fastcgi/scgi, which (IMHO) is easier to lock down security-wise in a multi-hosting environment than something like mod_python. Similar support exists for the grungy languages, such as PHP and Perl.

If you haven't tried it, Ubuntu's Jaunty Jackalope (or even Hardy Heron, if you're horribly out of date) has it in the apt repositories, and it looks like Gentoo has a pretty recent version in portage (do USE=admin emerge cherokee to get the web-based goodness).