[gentoo-user] Apache and systemd problem

[Michael]

Hello all,
To learn a little bit about systemd, I recently installed a gentoo with
systemd profile.
After some fights, the OS is working, but it was a real mess !!!
Now I am struggling for launching apache2 daemon.
When apache is compiled and installed, no apache2.service appears !
It was the same problem with the mysql database...
I copied the apache2.service from Linux Mint (attached file).

Have you also check the necessary apache directories in /etc and /var/log/
were installed as they should and something did not go wrong with the
installation of the package?

systemctl enable apache2.service works but failed when starting...
(journalctl attached)
Have you any solution to resolve that issue ?
Thanks in advance.
--
Jacques

I wonder if some configuration files are missing, or the IP address/port
apache is configured to bind to is already taken by another process.

Try 'systemctl -l status apache2' and also check your '/var/logs/apache2/
error.log'.

Also run '/usr/sbin/apache2ctl configtest' and check it returns "Syntax OK",
otherwise follow any configuration errors it reports.

[Jacques Montier]

Thank you Michael for your response.

- no error during compilation and installation
- /var/log/apache2 and /etc/apache2/httpd.conf are in the right place
- by default in httpd.conf:
User apache
Group apache
- User and group for /var/www -> apache:apache
- /usr/bin/apache2ctl configtest returns nothing
- when trying to start apache2.service, i get this :
apache2.service: start operation timed out. Terminating.

Cheers,

--
Jacques

Post by Michael

Hello all,
To learn a little bit about systemd, I recently installed a gentoo with
systemd profile.
After some fights, the OS is working, but it was a real mess !!!
Now I am struggling for launching apache2 daemon.
When apache is compiled and installed, no apache2.service appears !
It was the same problem with the mysql database...
I copied the apache2.service from Linux Mint (attached file).

Have you also check the necessary apache directories in /etc and /var/log/
were installed as they should and something did not go wrong with the
installation of the package?

systemctl enable apache2.service works but failed when starting...
(journalctl attached)
Have you any solution to resolve that issue ?
Thanks in advance.
--
Jacques

I wonder if some configuration files are missing, or the IP address/port
apache is configured to bind to is already taken by another process.
Try 'systemctl -l status apache2' and also check your '/var/logs/apache2/
error.log'.
Also run '/usr/sbin/apache2ctl configtest' and check it returns "Syntax OK",
otherwise follow any configuration errors it reports.

[Michael]

Post by Jacques Montier
Thank you Michael for your response.
- no error during compilation and installation

OK

Post by Jacques Montier
- /var/log/apache2 and /etc/apache2/httpd.conf are in the right place

Check ownership of files in /var/log/apache2/

Apache will need to be able to write to them.

Post by Jacques Montier
User apache
Group apache
- User and group for /var/www -> apache:apache

OK

Post by Jacques Montier
- /usr/bin/apache2ctl configtest returns nothing

Hmm ... it should return Status OK, or 0.

Post by Jacques Montier
apache2.service: start operation timed out. Terminating.

It is missing something, can't connect to the IP/port it needs, or there's a
file missing. What is the output of:

'systemctl -l status apache2'

Also set "LogLevel info" (or debug) in its config file and restart it to see
what the apache error log reveals.

[Jacques Montier]

Post by Michael

Post by Jacques Montier
- /var/log/apache2 and /etc/apache2/httpd.conf are in the right place

Check ownership of files in /var/log/apache2/
Apache will need to be able to write to them.
Apache ownership of apache:apache

Inside apache2, root:root and the files are empty.

I changed the ownership of the files into apache2 to apache:apache
No change. apache2 still fails.

Post by Michael

Post by Jacques Montier
- /usr/bin/apache2ctl configtest returns nothing

Hmm ... it should return Status OK, or 0.
I get absolutely nothing.

Post by Jacques Montier
apache2.service: start operation timed out. Terminating.

It is missing something, can't connect to the IP/port it needs, or there's a
'systemctl -l status apache2'

apache2.service - The Apache HTTP Server
Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service; enabled;
preset: disabled)
Active: failed (Result: timeout) since Thu 2023-05-11 17:46:29 CEST;
5min ago
Docs: https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/
Process: 1967 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl start (code=killed,
signal=TERM)
CPU: 22ms

mai 11 17:41:29 bureau systemd[1]: Starting apache2.service...
mai 11 17:46:29 bureau systemd[1]: apache2.service: start operation timed
out. Terminating.
mai 11 17:46:29 bureau systemd[1]: apache2.service: Killing process 1970
(systemctl) with signal SIGKILL.
mai 11 17:46:29 bureau systemd[1]: apache2.service: Failed with result
'timeout'.
mai 11 17:46:29 bureau systemd[1]: Failed to start apache2.service.



Also set "LogLevel info" (or debug) in its config file and restart it to

Post by Michael
see
what the apache error log reveals.

I don't find any "LogLevel info" in /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
/var/log/apache2/error_log is empty.

Jacques

[Michael]

Post by Jacques Montier
I don't find any "LogLevel info" in /etc/apache2/httpd.conf
/var/log/apache2/error_log is empty.
Jacques

Please take a look here to see what the httpd.conf should look like and if
there is no LogLevel directive add it yourself:

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Apache#.2Fetc.2Fconf.d.2Fapache2

Unfortunately I do not have access to an apache installation to compare notes,
but the above Wiki page should help with this. When troubleshooting similar
problems in the past I would run apachectl in a terminal and keep an eye in
the error.log to see what was being printed out.

The fact '/usr/bin/apache2ctl configtest' returns nothing makes me wonder if
all is well with the file /usr/bin/apache2ctl. Check:

which /usr/bin/apache2ctl
which /usr/bin/apachectl

to see which command exists in your installation.

After you are able to start it manually, you can edit your systemd service
file accordingly.

[Jacques Montier]

Post by Michael
After you are able to start it manually, you can edit your systemd service
file accordingly.

GOOD NEWS ! i can start apache2ctl manually by #/usr/bin/apache2ctl
I get the warning message :
AH00558: apache2: Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified
domain name, using 127.0.0.1. Set the 'ServerName' directive globally to
suppress this message
But, apache2 is working as i stay localhost.

So, by editing minimal apache2.service :

[Unit]
#Description=The Apache HTTP Server
After=network.target remote-fs.target nss-lookup.target
#Documentation=https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/

[Service]
#Type=forking
#Environment=APACHE_STARTED_BY_SYSTEMD=true
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl
ExecStop=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl graceful-stop
ExecReload=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl graceful
KillMode=mixed
#PrivateTmp=true
Restart=on-abort
TimeoutStartSec=5
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

#systemctl start apache2 works,
but #systemctl stop apache2 fails and is waiting for something....
So i can't reboot as apache2 is not stopped... :-(

Not perfect, but it is going...

--
Jacques

[Michael]

Post by Jacques Montier

Post by Michael
After you are able to start it manually, you can edit your systemd service
file accordingly.

GOOD NEWS ! i can start apache2ctl manually by #/usr/bin/apache2ctl
AH00558: apache2: Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified
domain name, using 127.0.0.1. Set the 'ServerName' directive globally to
suppress this message

Yes, you need to configure the apache files to specify IP address to listen
to, webroot, etc. for each host you want to serve files from.

Post by Jacques Montier
But, apache2 is working as i stay localhost.
[Unit]
#Description=The Apache HTTP Server
After=network.target remote-fs.target nss-lookup.target
#Documentation=https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/
[Service]
#Type=forking
#Environment=APACHE_STARTED_BY_SYSTEMD=true
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl

Fix this by adding the "start" subcommand:

ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl start

[Jacques Montier]

Post by Michael
Yes, you need to configure the apache files to specify IP address to listen
to, webroot, etc. for each host you want to serve files from.
Ok, it's done
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl start
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl start does not work.

Nothing happens and system's waiting for something indefinitely ... (file
attached)
The same with ExecStart=/usr/sbin/apache2ctl stop.
So, i found a very very ugly way to make it working.
I wrote a micro bash shell script : /usr/bin/op_apache
!/bin/bash
case ${1} in
"start")
apache2ctl
;;
"stop")
#the ugly way... Don't repeat !
killall apache2
;;
esac
And i launch the script in apache2.service
#Description=The Apache HTTP Server
After=network.target remote-fs.target nss-lookup.target
#Documentation=https://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/
[Service]
Type=forking
ExecStart=/usr/bin/op_apache start
ExecStop=/usr/bin/op_apache stop
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
So, waiting for better, it works !
--
Jacques

Hi Michael, Alexandru and all gentoo users,
Thanks a lot for having helped me !

Cheers !

Jacques

[Alexandru N. Barloiu]

first of all, gentoo does install with a service file:

[***@noela:~]# equery f apache | grep systemd | grep service
/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service

also, I feel the way apache works is indifferent to distro or os. i
mean, it makes very little difference as far as apache goes if you have
openrc or systemd. in the end its just a shell script to apachectl
start|stop|restart||configtest. Get a grip on logging. On how the system
logs, and how apache logs. check /etc/conf.d/apache2 which establishes
the parameters with which apache starts.


|

Hello all,
To learn a little bit about systemd, I recently installed a gentoo
with systemd profile.
After some fights, the OS is working, but it was a real mess !!!
Now I am struggling for launching apache2 daemon.
When apache is compiled and installed, no apache2.service appears !
It was the same problem with the mysql database...
I copied the apache2.service from Linux Mint (attached file).
systemctl enable apache2.service works but failed when starting...
(journalctl attached)
Have you any solution to resolve that issue ?
Thanks in advance.
--
Jacques

[Jacques Montier]

Post by Jacques Montier
/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service
Hi Alexandru,

Gentoo did not install any apache2.service.
I had to manually edit one and those found on the net don't work.
Have you got one i could use ?

thanks in advance.

Jacques

[Alexandru N. Barloiu]

How can you not miss it when it's specified in the ebuild?

[***@ruja:~]# grep service
/usr/portage/www-servers/apache/apache-2.4.55-r1.ebuild
    # Then apache2.4.service can be used and systemd support controlled
    systemd_newunit "${FILESDIR}/apache2.4-hardened.service"
"apache2.service"

Post by Jacques Montier
/
/
/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service
Hi Alexandru,
Gentoo did not install any apache2.service.
I had to manually edit one and those found on the net don't work.
Have you got one i could use ?
thanks in advance.
Jacques

[Jacques Montier]

Post by Alexandru N. Barloiu
How can you not miss it when it's specified in the ebuild?
/usr/portage/www-servers/apache/apache-2.4.55-r1.ebuild
# Then apache2.4.service can be used and systemd support controlled
systemd_newunit "${FILESDIR}/apache2.4-hardened.service"
"apache2.service"
I have the line in the ebuild, but no apache2.service is installed when

emerging apache.
No 00_systemd.conf in /etc/apache2/modules.d

A problem about missing uses flags ?

Here are mine

www-servers/apache-2.4.55-r1:2::gentoo USE="gdbm ssl suexec-caps systemd
-debug -doc -ldap (-selinux) (-split-usr) -static -suexec -suexec-syslog
-threads" APACHE2_MODULES="actions alias auth_basic authn_anon authn_core
authn_dbm authn_file authz_core authz_dbm authz_groupfile authz_host
authz_owner authz_user autoindex cache cgi cgid dav dav_fs dav_lock deflate
dir env expires ext_filter file_cache filter headers http2 include info
log_config logio mime mime_magic negotiation rewrite setenvif socache_shmcb
speling status unique_id unixd userdir usertrack vhost_alias -access_compat
-asis -auth_digest -auth_form -authn_dbd -authn_socache -authz_dbd -brotli
-cache_disk -cache_socache -cern_meta -charset_lite -dbd -dumpio -ident
-imagemap -lbmethod_bybusyness -lbmethod_byrequests -lbmethod_bytraffic
-lbmethod_heartbeat -log_forensic (-lua) -macro -md -proxy -proxy_ajp
-proxy_balancer -proxy_connect -proxy_fcgi -proxy_ftp -proxy_hcheck
-proxy_html -proxy_http -proxy_http2 -proxy_scgi -proxy_uwsgi
-proxy_wstunnel -ratelimit -remoteip -reqtimeout -session -session_cookie
-session_crypto -session_dbd -slotmem_shm -socache_memcache -substitute
-version -watchdog -xml2enc" APACHE2_MPMS="-event -prefork -worker"
LUA_SINGLE_TARGET="lua5-1 -lua5-3 -lua5-4"

Jacques

Post by Alexandru N. Barloiu
thanks in advance.
Jacques