Been using Apache2 for webserver since moving to a dedicated server (or rather Virtual Private Server to be precise). While Apache2 is a good webserver, it's on the heavy side when it comes to memory. My VPS has limited RAM, so this has caused some annoyance every now and then. So I decided to look for alternatives. My choice eventually fell on Lighttpd, since it's supposed to be a decent webserver with low memory footprint.

Now changing the webserver can be a hassle, and this transition was no exception. The main issue I had was with PHP. I had to recompile PHP with a couple of extra options. Everything was fine until I fired up the forum which uses SQLite as a database engine. For some odd reason SQLite wasn't compiled into PHP even though I chose it in the configuration. After a lot of trail/error, and even more swearing, I eventually was able to load SQLite as a dynamic/shared module. Finally!

Now that (almost) everything works as it used to I'm pretty satisfied with going for Lighttpd. Indeed it requires only about half the memory as Apache2, with no real performance penalty. Apache2, being a heavy-duty webserver, is really overkill for a website dedicated to a MUD. We're unlikely to ever have 500+ simultaneous connections 24/7. Lighttpd is meant for sites with a light load, and we certainly fit into that category

The only issue I have with the new webserver is its poor webdav support. I've been using this to access the Subversion repository. However the svn+ssh protocol is fine. I now have to enter my password every time I access the repository, but this is a small price to pay for freeing up valuable RAM.

So, in short, I can recommend Lighttpd for anyone needing a leaner alternative to Apache. The address is http://lighttpd.net/ if you want to check it out. It comes with a good selection of modules, so it probably fulfills most normal scenarios. Took me about an hour or two to get it fully working as a replacement to Apache. Thumbs up!