server host name and server ip address redirect (Debian, Apache)

Question

I have the following folder structure on my Apache

.../var/www/www.x.tt/htdocs

.../var/www/www.y.tt/htdocs

I have defined a virtual host for each.

So if I type in www.x.tt in my browser I get to the www.x.tt site. And the same for www.y.tt.

But now my question! If I type in the server address or the server host name I get to the ../var/www directory but I want that the user will be redirected to the www.x.tt site!

Do I have to create a new virtual host for this problem or is it also possible only to add a .htaccess Rule?!

Thanks!

Answer 1

You don't mention how you configured your virtual hosts, but I guess that you've done it following the "traditional" Debian-way - by creating files in /etc/apache/sites-available/ and then using a2ensite to enable the virtual host.

If so, you may edit your /etc/apache/sites-available/default file and put the virtual host you want to be the default one in it. For example:

<VirtualHost _default_:80>
  ServerName www.x.tt
  ServerAlias x.tt
  DocumentRoot /var/www/www.x.tt/htdocs
  ...
</VirtualHost>

More information about the _default_ keyword.

EDIT : If you're using name-based virtual hosts, just make sure that the configuration for the x.tt vhost is loaded first - this way it will be the default catch-all address.

Answer 2

You have to user a ServerName and a ServerAlias in your vhost configuration file

<VirtualHost *:80>

    ServerName your.domain.com
    ServerAlias your.domain.com www.your.domain.com

Otherwise, if you want to have a default website for the unspecified vhost, you have to create an vhost for that. You can check that with the command:

apache2ctl -S