Enabling sites and accessing them locally with Apache on Ubuntu
Sites can be added and enabled in Apache by creating the site's directory:
mkdir /var/www/my_site_name
Create the my_site_name configuration file within /etc/apache2/sites-available
vim my_site_name
and enter the configuration
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost
ServerName my_site_name.devDocumentRoot /var/www/my_site_name
</VirtualHost>
and running the Apache enable site command to 'enable' the site:
sudo a2ensite my_site_name.dev
Then you have to restart Apache so it sees the new site / configuration
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 reload
Next you will probably need to add an entry to your /etc/hosts file if you want to access the site via a user friendly url like my_site_name.dev.
sudo vim /etc/hosts
Add an entry for your site:
127.0.0.1 my_site_name.dev
save it and you may also need to restart your web browser.
If you placed an index file in your DocumentRoot you should see it when you visit
my_site_name.dev
Referenced: http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/412