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= How do I install the Drupal Boost module to improve performance? =

If you are running a Drupal site and you have a lot anonymous visitors, you may want to consider the Boost module to improve performance. Thanks ekes for the info:

The [DrupalModule:boost] module gets apache to serve static html, instead of the cached content from the mysql database that drupal usually uses. As with the Drupal cache this is only for anonymous users.

It's easy to install. [DrupalModule:boost Download the latest version] and follow the INSTALL.txt carefully.

You will have to create the directory to put the cached files in. The recommended directory to use is: <sites top level dir>/cache. When you create it as your Mayfirst user it automatically becomes writable by your instance of apache.

You will also have to replace the .htaccess file (once you are sure cached HTML is being created - it tells you what to do in the INSTALL.txt). In the case of Mayfirst you will have to remove the symlink to the shared Drupal install first. Then copy the one from the boost module. In sites top level directory:

{{{
rm .htaccess
cp sites/default/modules/boost/htaccess/boosted.txt .htaccess
}}}

In the past the only gotcha I've encountered using the module is that it caches the captchas! So anonymous users were answering old cached captchas. You can exclude paths from caching at !http://example.com/admin/settings/performance/boost.

Because of the wonders of static content, and just because you can, I set up an rsync'ed of a site running boost a while back and [http://www.iskra-it.com/blog/ekes/2008/01/10/boost-module-and-rsynced-apache-mirrors documented it].

There's also a [ticket:961 discussion of installing boost for a member].