# Path to rails app question **URL:** \ **Category:** Deployment\ **Created:** [October 11, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/path-to-rails-app-question/150702 "2008-10-11T19:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jschank](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@jschank](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jschank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 7:19pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/path-to-rails-app-question/150702/1 "2008-10-11T19:19:16Z")
[Post copied from other groups (Capistrano, and Rails Talk) Trying to find the right venue for this question, I apologize to anyone who’s seen this before] Hello, I’m finally ready to deploy my first rails app. I’m deploying to my own server (so I have root access) which is a mac mini running apache2, MySQL, etc. This server sits at the end of a static IP address. At the moment I have static content served from apache. For example: [http://www.myserver.com/](http://www.myserver.com/) gets my home website. [http://www.myserver.com/ical](http://www.myserver.com/ical) is where I stuff such things as shared ical calendars. I have some php apps deployed also, at addresses like [http://www.myserver.com/bugtracker/index.php](http://www.myserver.com/bugtracker/index.php) I’m deploying using capistrano, (using git, and mongrel), to a directory that is completely separate from the normal web docs folder. (for example: /Volumes/SomeDrive/MyRailsApp. Here is what has me confused… When I deploy, using cap deploy. I end up with: My normal static content shows up if I hit [http://www.myserver.com](http://www.myserver.com) If I use [http://www.myserver.com:3000](http://www.myserver.com:3000), then my rails app is served up. This is probably completely normal… What I want is have my rails app served when the url is something else, like [http://www.myserver.com/myrailsappname](http://www.myserver.com/myrailsappname) And I’d like to not have to specify the port in the address. Finally, I would like my normal static content to be served when the url is [http://www/myserver.com](http://www/myserver.com), and I’d like the things deployed to be unaffected (the bug tracker, and ical stuff mentioned above) Can someone point me in the right direction for solving these mysteries? Do I need to adjust my routes for my rails app, so that is has the extra bits at the front ? such as map.root “/myrailsappname” or something? Should I be using VirtualServer in my apache config ?, if so, should I use port 3000 instead of 80 ? Mostly I’m looking for the right topics and keywords to research to solve this. Thanks, John Schank ---
**Author:** ![jschank](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@jschank](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jschank)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/path-to-rails-app-question/150702/2 "2008-10-11T19:24:32Z")
John, You would need to use a virtual host entry in Apache with the appropriate name for it to respond to, and have then entry pass the connection on using ProxyPass. (You’ll actually want ProxyPass, ProxyPassReverse, and ProxyPreserveHost.) However, this is a very inefficient way of doing things. If you’re going to be using Apache for the foreseeable future, you should just get Phusion Passenger and have it handle your Rails apps. (I’d suggest pulling down Enterprise Ruby along with it as well.) If you’re just using this as a learning experience, at this point learning to proxy mongrel to Apache is largely useless these days. The two primary deployment methods still in use are going to be nginx +mongrel or Apache+Passenger. Hope that helps. – Alex Malinovich Director of Deployment Services PLANET ARGON, LLC design // development // hosting > **[Planet Argon](https://www.planetargon.com)** > > Planet Argon is a Ruby on Rails development agency specializing in maintenance and support for existing Rails apps. Based in Portland, OR, Planet Argon has been a member of the Rails community since 2004. [http://www.the-love-shack.net](http://www.the-love-shack.net) [blog] +1 503 445 2457 +1 877 55 ARGON [toll free] +1 815 642 4068 [fax]