Apache HTTP Server Version 2.4

Apache > HTTP Server > Documentation > Version 2.4 > Modules

# Apache Module mod_cgid

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Description: | Execution of CGI scripts using an external CGI daemon
Status: | Base
Module Identifier: | cgid_module
Source File: | mod_cgid.c
Compatibility: | Unix threaded MPMs only

### Summary

Except for the optimizations and the additional `ScriptSock` directive noted below, `mod_cgid` behaves similarly to `mod_cgi`. See the `mod_cgi` summary for additional details about Apache and CGI.

On certain unix operating systems, forking a process from a multi-threaded server is a very expensive operation because the new process will replicate all the threads of the parent process. In order to avoid incurring this expense on each CGI invocation, `mod_cgid` creates an external daemon that is responsible for forking child processes to run CGI scripts. The main server communicates with this daemon using a unix domain socket.

This module is used by default instead of `mod_cgi` whenever a multi-threaded MPM is selected during the compilation process. At the user level, this module is identical in configuration and operation to `mod_cgi`. The only exception is the additional directive `ScriptSock` which gives the name of the socket to use for communication with the cgi daemon.

### Directives

### Bugfix checklist

- httpd changelog
- Known issues
- Report a bug

### See also

- `mod_cgi`
- Running CGI programs under different user IDs
- Comments

## CGIDScriptTimeout Directive

Description: | The length of time to wait for more output from the CGI program
Syntax: | `CGIDScriptTimeout time[s|ms]`
Default: | `value of `Timeout` directive when unset`
Context: | server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Status: | Base
Module: | mod_cgid
Compatibility: | CGIDScriptTimeout defaults to zero in releases 2.4 and earlier

This directive limits the length of time to wait for more output from the CGI program. If the time is exceeded, the request and CGI are terminated.

### Example

    CGIDScriptTimeout 20

## ScriptSock Directive

Description: | The filename prefix of the socket to use for communication with the cgi daemon
Syntax: | `ScriptSock file-path`
Default: | `ScriptSock cgisock`
Context: | server config
Status: | Base
Module: | mod_cgid

This directive sets the filename prefix of the socket to use for communication with the CGI daemon, an extension corresponding to the process ID of the server will be appended. The socket will be opened using the permissions of the user who starts Apache (usually root). To maintain the security of communications with CGI scripts, it is important that no other user has permission to write in the directory where the socket is located.

If file-path is not an absolute path, the location specified will be relative to the value of `DefaultRuntimeDir`.

### Example

    ScriptSock /var/run/cgid.sock

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## Comments

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