The stock installation of Apache Web Server that comes with Mac OS X is fine in most instances for allot of people. I for one however like to use my Mac for local web application development, and try to replicate the production server environment as closely as possible to facilitate a higher accuracy of application testing. There are quite a few features I feel my local setup should have to better mimic the live server that just doesn't come with the one size fits all stock OSX installation.
In this article we will be running through a custom compilation and installation of Apache Web Server version 2.2 on Mac OS X (Tested on Tiger and Leopard). It will require that you have Apple Developer tools installed on your Mac as we will be conducting the install from the command line (Terminal). Read this tutorial [here|http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_to_install_apple_developer_tools_cc_gcc_mac_os_x.html] to find out how to install Developer tools if you haven't done so already.
You will need to have the "root" user enabled on your Mac. You can do this with /Applications/Utilities/Directory Utility on Leopard(s) or /Applications/Utilities/NetInfo Manager on Tiger. I wont get into the details of doing each one as it is quite easy to figure out.
It will also be highly beneficial for you to have a basic understanding of UNIX shell commands. The majority of the installations will be done from within "Terminal", and having some experience from within the shell will be helpful, though I hope to make this process as close to copy and paste as possible.
Alright, lets get this baby going!