Apache on Vagrant on Ubuntu – "config.vm.forward_port 80, 8080" and 'vagrant reload'

Vagrant can automatically set your port forwarding to your guest os. This makes web development easy.
To follow this article, you should have vagrant installed.

Install Apache on Guest

In the box (guest OS), install Apache web server

box$ sudo apt-get -y install apache2

And test it

box$ wget http://localhost/

An index.html is downloaded to current working directory.
In Vagrantfile, uncomment the line

config.vm.forward_port 80, 8080

The reload the box (reboots guest virtual machine):

$ vagrant reload

Now you can access box (guest OS) web server on (normal, non-virtual) host OS on http://localhost:8080. You should get the familiar “It works” page.

See also

Hashimoto and Bender 2012: Getting Started with Vagrant: Port Forwarding
Karvinen 2008: Install Apache Web Server on Ubuntu
Karvinen 2012: Vagrant on Ubuntu 12.04 – Create and Boot New Virtual Machine in Minutes

Admnistrivia

Tested on xUbuntu 12.04 precise beta 32bit, Linux 3.2.0-18-generic-pae, vagrant 0.9.5-1, virtualbox 4.1.8-dfsg-2.