title: Apache 2.2 on XP: How configuration files are managed? Where should they be located?
body: <p>New to Apache, and suffering...</p>
  
  <p><strong>Seems to be true:</strong></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>the default configuration is in Apache directory <code>Apache2.2/conf/httpd.conf</code></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p><strong>Unsure of that</strong>:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>it can be elsewhere</li>
  <li>to create some separation between test/production, it seems that the best option is
  to store all test files, including configuration and logs, in the same directory, with subdirectories conf, log, htdocs, and all production files in another directory using a similar structure.</li>
  <li>if my upper directory is <code>d:mywww</code>, then the server needs to be started with the associated configuration file, e.g. <code>httpd -f "d:mywww/conf/httpd.conf"</code></li>
  <li>What will happen to the default configuration file if the -f option is used. Will it be ignored?</li>
  <li>If instead of the -f option, you use <code>httpd -d "d:mywww/htdocs"</code> to indicate the directory to serve, but not any configuration file, will the default config file be used and the one under <code>d:mywww/conf</code> ignored?</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>Can someone confirm or deny? </p>
  
  <p>Is there a well known site with a good introduction on setting up Apache, if possible on Windows. I found the Apache documentation a little bit difficult, and Apache Definitive Guide not clear about this kind of questions.</p>