Overview
mod_gb is a Apache module which aims to provide an ASP/VBScript compatibility layer for your web-pages. In other words it allows you to run with none or little modifications your ASP pages on your Linux server running Apache.
A bit of perspective
mod_gb is based on the work done by Michael Meeks, Ravi Pratap and other people on Gnome Basic which was meant to be a VB work-alike for Linux. After the successful launch of Mono, Gnome Basic was officially declared "dead". A few months later I decided to start mod_gb, dropping (even if not completely) the support for GUI elements (Forms, Buttons, etc.) and adding external "class libraries" which could be used to expand the language in real ASP-fashion.
Current state
mod_gb is currently alpha-quality software, maybe even a step behind that. It's nowhere near ready to be installed and run by the faint-hearted, let alone on a production server. If you decide to download, compile and install it, just don't say I never warned you.
Requirements
mod_gb requires Apache, libmm for shared memory support, the EAPI package (included in mod_ssl) and the unixODBC package. It also requires GLIB 2.0. mod_gb is currently being developed on a RedHat 7.1 system with kernel 2.4.19 and Apache 1.3.27. It is likely to run also on *BSD systems, but I never tried.
How to install
Follow the
instructions contained in the INSTALL file. The build process will copy
three libraries (libgb.so, libgbrun.so and libgbrt.so) in /usr/lib (or
where you choose to put them). Class libraries (in this first release:
asp, adodb and fsobj) will be put in a directory of their own (/usr/lib/gb
by default). The module will be copied to the directory specified in the
build script for Apache modules.
Add the following line to your httpd.conf
AddHandler mgb_asp-http .asp
Stop and restart Apache to load the newly installed module
Documentation
I told you this is pre-alpha stage software, right? :-) I'm working on something more detailed and organized. For now, try to be patient and browse the FAQ. For Install instruction see the INSTALL file.
License
This is free software, folks, free as "free beer", but also free as free can be. If you didn't understand what I meant, take a few minutes to visit the site of the Free Software Foundation and to understand what free software and the GPL (the license under which mod_gb is distributed) are.
The author
My name's Marco Ridoni, I'm 33 and I live in Rome, Italy, with my girlfriend and a dog. I work as senior developer and system administrator for Protocomm Consulting, a small Italian company which develops Internet solutions and applications and provides technical support and service to its clients.