Can't start Apache

[Longman, Bill]

> Ok, maybe it isn't.  This IS the newbie list, right?  :-)
> 
> Here is what I got back, I assumed if it wasn't running I'd 
> have received
> nothing back.
> 
> root    30989 30821  0  12:50  pts/1  00:00:00  grep httpd

Yep, all you got here is your grep. No httpd running. So there is a problem
getting Apache to start.

> >> When I go to  YDL menu->System Settings->Server 
> Settings->HTTP Server  it
> >> tells me that it is listening to 80, but obviously it isn't.
> >> 
> > 
> > Exactly. I can tell you have ssh, mail, cups, mysql and 
> webmin running from
> > this.
> > 
> > You might want to try
> > 
> > service httpd restart
> > 
> > to see if it is a problem with a lock file. [not likely, 
> but possible]
> 
> When I type this I get:
> 
> Stopping httpd:  [ FAILED ]
> Starting httpd:  [   OK   ]
> 
> 
> >>> If you installed Everything, it might be your firewall 
> software. Shut that
> >>> down if you installed it. Once it's down,
> 
> I wish I knew how to do this, I can't find the firewall 
> software.  Sorry,
> I'm really good with Macs, and I'm ok on Windows, but Linux 
> is just too
> "roll your own" for me to be able to know how to work it.

Just run "iptables --list".

Also, one way to find all the services and their behavio[u]r at system
startup is with the "chkconfig" command. Just use "chkconfig --list" to show
you what services get started and it will show you at which run-level you
should expect to see them.

> 
> >>> iptables --list [run this as root].
> >>> 
> >>> Should just say policy ACCEPT for input, forward and output.
> >>> 
> >>> If it's not running, you should, check your config file
> >>> [/etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf]. You should have
> >>> 
> >>> Listen 80
> >>> 
> >>> somewhere in that file.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Yes, httpd.conf does say "Listen *:80"
> > 
> > I've never seen *:80, but I'm no apache pro. I'd take out 
> the star colon and
> > just put 80 there and see how that flies.
> 
> Didn't seem to help.  Or maybe something deeper is failing 
> and this isn't
> even coming into play.

> > Take a look through /var/log/httpd/error_log and see if 
> it's telling you
> > something we're missing.
> 
> This file is empty!

Duh! My bad. That's the logs from httpd! Ooof! Sorry, too much fun in one
weekend....

The /var/log/messages file is where most of the output ought to go. Browse
through there for any httpd messages. You will probably also find something
in the less-crowded boot.log file [in /var/log]. At least a start and stop
message.

Next, check in /etc/httpd/logs/error_log. That should show you a heap of fun
stuff.

Otherwise, you should debug the httpd itself.

Step 1: become superuser -- "su" or "sudo -s"
Step 2: stop httpd -- "service httpd stop"
Step 3: check the httpd.conf file -- "httpd -t"

> I've installed YDL on this box three times now trying to get 
> it to work.
> Interestingly, the second time Apache worked just fine, and 
> that time I
> DIDN'T install everything.  Of course that second time I 
> could use perl
> -MCPAN, it couldn't find CPAM.pm.
> 
> I did everything again because of the perl -MCPAN problem and 
> I was hoping
> mod_perl would get installed.  I need that.

Use rpm to see if it is installed:

rpm -qa | grep perl
or
rpm -qa | grep mod_perl
 
> Last night I also wrote to the Yellow Dog people and asked to buy
> installation support to help me get up and running--  so far 
> no answer.
> 
> 
> Suggestions?

This list is pretty good for support. There are certainly some topics that
don't get answered to everyone's liking, but then, it's a noob list. But as
for YD's purchased support, it doesn't look good if they can't even give you
support support! [Would that be meta-support?]

Bill