Virtual Products without Apache mod_xsendfile

[chawk]

I am hosting my website on Webfaction.   They do not have mod_xsendfile on any of their Apache stacks.   They give me the option to compile an Apache server from source, but I am completely unfamiliar with how to do this.  I have not been able to find solid documentation on this either, some of the documentation that exist is outdated.   

So, short of having to compile a new Apache server from source and add the mod_xsendfile to it, can I just create a protected directory outside of my root directory and tell satchmo where this lives for virtual product downloads?