We have already mentioned that the new mod_perl build environment (with USE_APACI) is a hybrid. What does that mean? It means, for instance, that you can use the same src/modules/perl/ configuration to build mod_perl as a DSO or not, without having to edit any files. To build libperl.so, just add a single option, depending on which method you used to build mod_perl.

libperl.so and libperl.a

The static mod_perl library is called libperl.a, and the shared mod_perl library is called libperl.so. Of course, libmodperl would have been a better prefix, but libperl was used because of prehistoric Apache issues. Be careful that you don't confuse mod_perl's libperl.a and libperl.so files with the ones that are built with the standard Perl installation.

If you choose the "standard" all-in-one way of building mod_perl, add:

USE_DSO=1

to the perl Makefile.PL options.

If you choose to build mod_perl and Apache separately, add:

--enable-shared=perl

to Apache's configure options when you build Apache.

As you can see, whichever way you build mod_perl and Apache, only one additional option is needed to build mod_perl as a DSO. Everything else is done automatically: mod_so is automatically enabled, the Makefiles are adjusted, and the install target from APACI installs libperl.so into the Apache installation tree. Additionally, the LoadModule and AddModule directives (which dynamically load and insert mod_perl into httpd) are automatically added to httpd.conf.