Apache hijacks city’s website

This is one of those ROTFLOL (Rolling on the floor laughing out loud) experiences. Let me set up some definitions before I start:

• CentOS – This is a Linux distribution (Linux OS wrapped with other stuff for users) mainly for server applications or “enterprise” systems. Like Microsoft Windows or Mac OSX but usually used for behind the scenes stuff like email, web pages, etc.
• Apache – This is what is called a web server that runs on a computer with an operating system (OS) such as CentOS, Windows, Mac OSX, etc. This is what you connect to when you go to a website and it “serves up” the pages as you click through the site.
• Service Provider – the company that uses the above softwares and helps clients set up web pages and/or provides the hardware (computers) and internet access needed for the world to access the web pages.

Ok, now for the story is summary: The company that provided the city of Tuttle, OK with the web space for their website had to reinstall the OS (which was CentOS) on the computer that ran their web site. It seems that it was not set up properly so when one went to the city website the page that popped up was a default page written by CentOS to show that the Apache server was set up correctly and the website pages were not set up yet.Now the fun begins. The city manager see the “default” page and thinks that CentOS has hijacked or hacked the site. He immediatly contacts CentOS without even asking the computer administration person from the city and quickly accuses CentOS that they are at fault. Even though it was the web service provider’s fault for miss configuring the system.

I think that the CentOS support guy thought that it was a hoax at first but was pretty decent to try and help out even though they were not resposible and software and service was free for the city.

The story goes on including threats of calling the FBI (which would have be very humiliating for the city). But I will let you read the emails here:

http://www.centos.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=127

Also, the city’s home page is not accessible at the writing of this because the city decided to change service providers (yesterday it still had the default Apache page).
Enjoy.