Ran easyapache update, now apache won't start

[TogaDave]

I'm running:

WHM 9.9.0 cPanel 9.9.0-C55
RedHat 7.3 i686 - WHM X v3.1.0

Logged in to WHM and got a warning to run /scripts/easyapache

I ran the script, chose "Option 5".

Now Apache won't restart.

I also found thousands of core dump files in /usr/local/apache

Anyone have any advice or tips?

Thank you in advance!
Dave

 

[PWSowner]

Try reinstalling again with option 1.

Are you sure apache is down. The WHM lights are not updated constantly.

 

[TogaDave]

Thanks squirrel, I'll try option 1 and see what happens.

All I get right now is "Unable to obtain apache version information. Your apache server at xx.xx.xxx.xx may be down, or unreachable."

And none of the web sites on that server can be pulled up in a browser.

 

[TogaDave]

While I sit here with my fingers crossed and watch Option 1 do it's thing, I have a question someone might know the answer to...

Some of the sites on my server rely heavily on GD library 2.0x, so I've always used Option 4 when running /scripts/easyapache , but the last 2 or 3 times I've run it this problem happens to me and I usually end up having to call my data center and they fix it somehow.

Since my sites require GD 2.0, doesn't using Option 1 leave something out that I need for it?

Option 1 just finished and I still have the same problem

 

[PWSowner]

Could try going into shell and running

/usr/sbin/httpd configtest

to see if it's something wrong with the conf file.

 

[TogaDave]

/usr/sbin/httpd configtest

Says Syntax is OK, but I can clearly see that the new httpd.conf file is WAY smaller than the backups.

 

[PWSowner]

I'd look at the file and if it doesn't have the virtualhost entries, replace it with one of the backups.

I have heard of the entries disappearing, but I've never had it happen myself.

 

[TogaDave]

Tried replacing httpd.conf with several backups I had, but nothing works. My data-center techs say they can't solve it either and that I'll have to open a ticket with cPanel (which I just did)

 

[PWSowner]

Good luck

I hope it's fixed soon.

 

[TogaDave]

Thanks Mike, I appreciate the advice. As you can imagine I'm in quite a panick right now and I don't know when I'll have a response from cPanel. Ouch.

 

[PWSowner]

Only happened to me once a couple years ago around 1am. I ended up staying up for the next 6 hours watching for it to come back to life.

Not a good feeling when the server is down.

 

[TogaDave]

Not a good feeling when the server is down.

Nope. I actually get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach knowing that every customer on the box is watching the minutes tick away until it's back up.

Miraculously, though, I've got it back up and running. I cannot make any sense of how or why, I can only share the order of events that took place, in case they are of some use to another host out there who runs into the same problem:


1. Running WHM 9.9.0 cPanel 9.9.0-C55 / RedHat 7.3 i686 - WHM X v3.1.0, I logged in to WHM and got a warning to run /scripts/easyapache for security purposes (to update PHP 4.3.8 to 4.3.9). I ran the script, chose "Option 5". Apache would not restart.

2. I attempted to update cPanel to latest "Current", but it didn't appear to work.

3. Tried restarting apache from WHM, no luck.

4. Saw that thousands of core dump files were created in /usr/local/apache and deleted them before it filled the drive.

5. Came here, posted, ran easyapache Option 1 at Squirrels suggestion

6. Wished I'd had some beer in the house.

7. Tried Option 4, no luck. Updated to WHM 9.9.0 cPanel 9.9.2-C6 seemed to be successful, still no apache though.

8. I replaced httpd.conf file with an older backup - Still no luck

9. Ran /scripts/easyapache Option 4 again, and this time it worked.

I'm absolutely dazed and confused as to what could have happened ro why this happens every time I run easyapache the past few times. But at least its back online and I'm breathing a little easier.

 

[peddler]

6. Wished I'd had some beer in the house.

Beer on hand is mandatory. Helped me through a few of these crappy situations

Glad to hear that all is well.

 

[Angel78]

just a tip:


always create backup of the whole apache dir, before doing update, then if everything is ok just remove the backup, or if it is not simply delete the new and rename apache_backup to apache.

 

[Marty]

Here is what I think happened.

Your /usr/local/apache directory is probably full of files that have names that start with the word "core" followed by a series of numbers. This is called core dump. This core dump, filled your /usr partiction causing the installation of apache to fail and thus you httpd.conf file is likely blank. This happens to me on my servers when I do not stop apache before doing the buildapache dance.

 

[verdon]

I had the same thing happen and went through a similar series of steps yesterday -- nice Thanksgiving Holiday

In the end, the issue for me was turk_mmcache. I have had that php accelorator installed with php 4.3.8 for sometime now with no problems. When I commented out the directive lines for it in php.ini, my apache server will start. I tried rebuilding mmcache, now that my php is 4.3.9, still no luck.

For now, I've disabled mmcache, but I'd sure like to get it running again!

WHM 9.9.0 cPanel 9.9.1-S50**
RedHat 8.0 i686 - WHM X v3.1.0**

 

[verdon]

I rebuilt mmcache again and this time evrything seems fine and everybody is getting along In retrospect, I suspect now that either when I updated apache or updated cpanel, my /tmp/ dir was completely emptied, deleting /tmp/mmcache/ which may have been the root of the problem. DOH! At least, /tmp/mmcache/ was not there as it used to be, when I checked all the details of my install instructions.

Alss well that ends well

 

[gonz0]

I had the same problem ...

But I have 2 VPS servers. At first I had such problem described here. On Second VPS (nearly the same machine and the same CPANEL/WHM) it was working perfectly with MMCACHE and ZEND ...

So I have commented all MMCACHE options and restarted APACHE - working.

Next I put the same options on both VPS:

zend_extension="/usr/lib/php/extensions/no-debug-non-zts-20020429/mmcache.so"
mmcache.shm_size="8"
mmcache.cache_dir="/tmp/mmcache"
mmcache.enable="1"
mmcache.optimizer="1"
mmcache.check_mtime="1"
mmcache.debug="0"
mmcache.filter=""
mmcache.shm_max="0"
mmcache.shm_ttl="0"
mmcache.shm_prune_period="0"
mmcache.shm_only="0"
mmcache.compress="1"
mmcache.sessions="shm_and_disk"
mmcache.keys="shm_and_disk"
; COMMENTED LINES
;mmcache.admin.name="admin"
;mmcache.admin.password="PASSWORD WAS HERE"

And it is working ... as 4me