Your statement is not an inverse of mine, but is incorrect for other reasons

Assuming the wrong context, yes, my statement is incorrect. We have to distinguish at least three: request paths, file system paths (relative to ServerRoot, DocumentRoot or any path set with Alias), and paths in the config.

Apache translates absolute paths to relative ones when looking at a HTTP request; it does not follow symlink unless told to do so when translating the HTTP Request objects path relative to it's surrounding context back into an absolute one on the file system level.

Now, in the context of apache configuration, absolute paths are accepted. See the alias directive you mentioned:

Alias /docs /usr/local/share/docs
<Location /docs>
    ...
</Location>
[download]

But I guess we both mean (and know) the same and need not compete for the best formulation. Instead, let's help Nik. How could a virtual host setup help him? You are correct wrt Alias, that could help, but without further information from him, little can be said.

cheers,

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