AlmaLinux 10 Overview

Summary

Virtualhosts let you host multiple local applications under *.localhost subdomains, routed automatically through Apache without editing the Windows hosts file.

Virtualhosts allow developers to host multiple applications on their local system.

Using this tool, you configure a virtualhost for each of your applications, and it will create them so that you can start working with them.

Example:

• api.dotkernel.localhost: this could be the endpoint where you host your website's API
• frontend.dotkernel.localhost: this could be the subdomain where you host your website's frontend that will consume the API

In the above example, the URLs are built like this:

• The subdomain is the identifier of your application (api / frontend).
• The domain is the identifier of your project (dotkernel).
• The TLD sends the requests to localhost where Apache will route them to their real location.

By using the pattern *.localhost for any new virtualhost, you do not need to modify the hosts file in Windows, because these are routed by default.

Next step

Ready to set one up? Continue to Create virtualhost.

FAQ

Q: Do I need to edit the Windows hosts file for my virtualhosts?

A: No, as long as you use the *.localhost pattern (for example api.dotkernel.localhost), these domains are routed automatically and require no hosts file changes.

Q: Can I use a domain that doesn't end in .localhost?

A: The automatic routing described here relies on the *.localhost pattern. Using a different TLD would require manually editing the Windows hosts file yourself.

Q: How are the subdomain and domain parts of a virtualhost URL structured?

A: The subdomain identifies the application (for example api or frontend), and the domain identifies the project (for example dotkernel) - together with the .localhost TLD, Apache routes the request to the right place.

Q: Where do I actually create a virtualhost?

A: This page only covers the concept. See Create virtualhost for the steps to provision one.