Cleaner httpd conf extension proposal

IN ORDER TO ensure my PHP application will pick up changes in the PHP buildpack’s default configuration when new versions are released, AS A PHP buildpack user I WANT a way to extend the httpd conf without overwriting buildpack-provided conf files.

This is in reference to the docs here, which recommend copying the httpd.conf (or another file) from the buildpack source, modifying it to add inclusion of special configuration, and adding it to the .bp-config directory. When users do that, it means they have to start watching the file upstream that they overrode for changes, or risk breakage in their app.

Adding a single IncludeOptional line (with an expected directory name) to httpd.conf would make it trivial to extend the httpd conf without overwriting buildpack-provided files. Here’s an example where I did that: https://github.com/18F/cf-ex-drupal8/pull/25

[dmikusa]

👍 This would be a nice convenience feature and it’s basically a one-line change to the default httpd.conf file in the buildpack (to add this.

I have thought about doing this in the past and just never got around to it. Mostly because the config that’s in the buildpack rarely changes. Anyway, +1.

[ForestEckhardt]

For php-web-cnb it is now possible to include custom http snippets. This should be easier than the current behavior in the php-buildpack because you no longer have to override the complete file. This approach is also inline with how we override php.ini and php.fpm.