Regarding Mac OS X File System Overview, it seems Apple enforcing the standard compliance for developer to follow their rules on application folder which are within /Applications or ~/Applications. The concern is to comply the way Mac App Store deliver the updates.
if you not comfort enough to use default folder, yes you are still able to move the application which you had download from Mac App Store to another folder with two caveats:
- You will be required to enter an administrative password to move the
app from the /Applications folder.
- If an update appears in the MAS for an installed app that has been moved you will get an error message about having apps installed
from another account. To update the app you will have to Delete
the
app entirely and then install the updated app or Move the app back to the /Applications folder
Has another Apache been installed? From a terminal (Applications-> Utilities-> Terminal.app) try:
ps ax | grep httpd
You should see something like the following if your local web sharing is enabled:
25829 ?? Ss 0:00.04 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND -D WEBSHARING_ON
25831 ?? S 0:00.00 /usr/sbin/httpd -D FOREGROUND -D WEBSHARING_ON
Then try
ps ax | grep apache
This should return nothing if you are using the default install, but might if another server was installed.
If apache is running from anything other than /usr/sbin, then you may want to investigate your PATH environment variable in case it has been altered.
You could also try using the default httpd.conf file supplied by Apple (in case yours has been edited).
Make a backup of the current one
sudo cp /etc/apache2/httpd.conf /etc/apache2/httpd.conf.bak
Copy the 'original' httpd.conf file
sudo cp /etc/apache2/original/httpd.conf /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
Restart the web server
sudo apachectl restart
On a side note.. If you are or will be doing any long term web development, I would advise installing apache2, php, mysql, etc from MacPorts or Homebrew. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but it's easy when you get the hang of it and you will benefit over the long haul. Example port commands:
Search for applications to install
port search apache2
Install apache2
sudo port install apache2 (currently version 2.2.22)
Uninstall apache2
sudo port uninstall apache2
Upgrade..
sudo port upgrade apache2
Also, MacPorts installs everything into the /opt/ directory (I think Homebrew does as well), so you can always just delete the entire directory if you do not want them anymore. Again, if you do not mind digging in the trenches a bit and can be patient while your computer compiles these apps from source code (this can be lengthy), it will be worth your while.
Best Answer
I'd recommend looking into an MDM system, that is the way Apple expects fleets of Macs to be administered. There is a bare-bones version available in Apple's Server app, but there are also commercial solutions from companies like Jamf, Mosyle, or Cisco's Meraki.
With an MDM system you can have settings (including VPN and email) and application installs based on the individual machine or user, or groups of machines or users. Any changes you make are pushed over the network.
When a new person comes on board, you should be able to just wipe the old employee's device, give the new person a user name and password and let them go through the Apple system setup, which for a managed device includes any settings you have defined for that user or device.
Anything available in the App Store is easy to manage, Apple has a volume purchase program that allows you to assign App Store apps to either machines (no Apple ID required by user) or to the user (the user will need an Apple ID). It looks like Apple is going to start offering managed Apple IDs for businesses in the near future.
The commercial MDMs usually have a solution for non App Store apps, but I think Adobe Creative Cloud can be a problem for MDM systems (you may not be surprised to hear that). The solution for me has been to move to CC for Teams which gives you a admin account and a license pool that you can assign users to and then Adobe sends them an invite to install the software. It is more expensive, but is the best option for managing CC licenses in a business.
Getting setup with an MDM can be a little involved, but the commercial MDM providers should be able to assist you with all of the steps.