[Zope] Using Apache rewrite to server Zope/Plone - VirtualHostMonster and / or SiteAccess?

[Cormac McClean]

Hi,

I'm running Debian 3.0, Python 2.3.3, Zope 2.7 and Plone 2.0.3. I have 
Apache 1.3.27 running, and I am attempting to serve a Plone site via 
Apache's rewrite rules.

Here's how things are set up:
Apache DocumentRoot at /usr/local/apache/htdocs, contains a folder zope
Within Zope, I have a folder, zope, which contains a Plone site 
(erebus_plone) and a Virtual host monster.
Apache is running on the institute's internal network (only) at 
erebus.ait.ie (port 80), and Zope is on erebus.ait.ie:8080

I want the Plone site to appear in response to http://erebus.ait.ie (I 
need to retain Apache for cgi-bin and other legacy content).

Here's what I have in httpd.conf:
DocumentRoot /usr/local/apache/htdocs/zope

RewriteEngine On
RewriteLog "/usr/local/apache/logs/rewrite_log"
RewriteLogLevel 1
RewriteRule ^/local/ - [L]
RewriteRule ^/icons/ - [L]
RewriteRule ^/~(.*) - [L]
RewriteRule ^/cgi-bin/ - [L]
RewriteRule / 
http://erebus.ait.ie:8080/zope/VirtualHostBase/http/erebus.ait.ie/VirtualHostRoot/zope/erebus_plone/$1 
[P]

This gives me access to the Plone site in response to the URL 
http://erebus.ait.ie, but it doesn't display correctly: I get a very 
basic html page, not Plone in all its glory.

As an alternative approach, I tried
RewriteRule / 
http://erebus.ait.ie:8080/zope/erebus_plone/VirtualHostBase/ [P]

This gives me Plone in all its glory, but with a 404 error message: not 
found.

I've been reading any relevant material I could find (searched zope.org, 
read the relvant section of the Zope Book) and I have to admit I'm not 
sure how to correct this problem - in fact, I'll admit I don't fully 
understand the syntax in the RewriteRules.

Possible options:
1. Put the Virtual Host Monster into Zope's Root folder? The reason I'm 
not doing this is that on a previous attempt I lost access to the ZMI.
2. Add a SiteRoot object into the Root folder? zope folder? Again, I've 
tried this, and have had problems getting access to the ZMI.

I'd appreciate it if someone could point me in the direction. Zope.org 
content I have read include:


    Using Apache with ZServer (NOT Zope.cgi)


  Apache As A Front End To ZServer


  Debian: Zope and Apache with Mod-Rewrite


Thanks in advance,
Cormac.


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