Apache HTTP Server Version 2.2

Apache > HTTP Server > Documentation > Version 2.2 > Programs

#### Please note

This document refers to a legacy release (2.2) of Apache httpd. The active release (2.4) is documented here. If you have not already upgraded, please follow this link for more information.

You may follow this link to go to the current version of this document.

# suexec - Switch user before executing external programs

Available Languages: en | ko | tr

`suexec` is used by the Apache HTTP Server to switch to another user before executing CGI programs. In order to achieve this, it must run as `root`. Since the HTTP daemon normally doesn't run as `root`, the `suexec` executable needs the setuid bit set and must be owned by `root`. It should never be writable for any other person than `root`.

For further information about the concepts and the security model of suexec please refer to the suexec documentation (http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.2/suexec.html).

- Comments

## Synopsis

`suexec -V`

## Options

`-V`
  If you are `root`, this option displays the compile options of `suexec`. For security reasons all configuration options are changeable only at compile time.

Available Languages: en | ko | tr

## Comments

Notice:
This is not a Q&A section. Comments placed here should be pointed towards suggestions on improving the documentation or server, and may be removed again by our moderators if they are either implemented or considered invalid/off-topic. Questions on how to manage the Apache HTTP Server should be directed at either our IRC channel, #httpd, on Freenode, or sent to our mailing lists.