Can't Make Custom httpd.conf file work

Sorry guys and gals, I don't know why it posted blank. I've been having trouble getting on / posting on devshed the last two days for some reason

I'd edit the original post, but it doesn't give me the option.. so, I'll repost yet again what was supposed to be in the starting post.

<-----------------------------------------------> ORIGINAL QUESTION:
I recently used an RPM to install Apache 1.3.12 on my Red Hat 7.0 machine.

I copied HTTPD so it is on my path and if I type "httpd start" from bash and open localhost in my browser, I get the test page like I should.

However, all I want to do is set up a testing area for CGI scripts so that I can test them in my browser using Apache. When I move the conf, logs, and htdocs files into the directory /home/Chris/ I can't start Apache using the /home/Chris/conf/httpd.conf file!

The Apache book I have says to use "httpd
-d /home/Chris/conf/httpd.conf" and the docs that came with Apache say "httpd -f /home/Chris/conf/httpd.conf". When I use either of those, I get the syntax usage for httpd as if all I had typed was "httpd" with no arguments.

Obviously, I must be misunderstanding some basic aspect of setting up the server, but what is it?

>> I must be misunderstanding some basic aspect

Yes, just man httpd to find out the options, and likely it's the -f.

I guess apart from -f <filename> you add up start, stop or restart.

Something like

httpd -f /path/to/httpd.conf start

That shall do.

JD

% httpd -f /path/to/httpd.conf start
brings this up:
Usage: {start | stop | restart | blah | blah}

??? This is what I am to type... yet the server will not start. Out of curiosity I have also tried putting the start at the beginning, which causes it to start with the default conf file..

That httpd appears to be a script rather than the daemon. So you will need to write a start/stop script yourself and specify the -f option to httpd daemon.

Aha! I'm just now getting over my Windows addiction and wiped WinME and Linux Mandrake from my PC in favor of a single boot Red Hat machine, so I'll need to go through the chapters on writing shell scripts in my Linux book and Apache book.

Thanks a lot guys and/or gals! Hopefully that will put everything back in order!