XML Publishing with AxKit

Chapter 2. Installing AxKit

AxKit combines the power of Perl’s rich and varied XML processing facilities with the flexibility of the Apache web server. Rather than implementing such an environment in a monolithic package, as some application servers do, it takes a more modular approach. It allows developers to choose the lower-level tools such as XML parsers and XSLT processors for themselves. This neutrality with respect to lower-level tools gives AxKit the ability to adapt and incorporate new, better performing, or more feature-rich tools as quickly as they appear. That flexibility costs, however. You will probably have to install more than just the AxKit distribution to get a working system.

Installation Requirements

To get AxKit up and running, you will need:

• The Apache HTTP server (Version 1.3.x)

• The mod_perl Apache extension module (Version 1.26 or above)

• An XML parser written in Perl or, more commonly, one written in C that offers a Perl interface module

• The core AxKit distribution

Installing Apache and mod_perl

If you are running an open source or open source-friendly operating system such as GNU/Linux or one of the BSD variants (including Mac OS X), chances are good that you already have Apache and mod_perl installed. If this is the case, then you probably will not have to install them by hand. Simply make sure that you are running the most recent version of each, and skip directly to the next section. However, in some cases, using precompiled binaries of Apache and mod_perl proved ...